Red Sox

Eduardo Rodriguez reportedly drawing interest from the Angels

Rodriguez received the qualifying offer from the Red Sox on Sunday.

Eduardo Rodriguez could be leaving Boston this offseason.

November 9, 2021

MLB free agency is already underway, and one Red Sox player is apparently drawing interest from another team.

The Los Angeles Angles are interested in signing Eduardo Rodriguez as they attempt to bolster their pitching staff this offseason, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported Tuesday.

Rodriguez, who became a free agent after the conclusion of the World Series, received the qualifying offer from the Red Sox on Sunday. Rodriguez has until Nov. 17 to accept or decline the offer, which is worth $18.4 million over one year.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom shared with reporters Sunday that the team is still pursuing a multi-year deal for Rodriguez.

“Without getting too deep into those types of conversations, no reason that [conversations] shouldn’t be ongoing, even though he has that time clock and a decision that he has to make,” Bloom said. “When there is mutual interest in some kind of longer-term deal, it makes sense to talk as much as you can to keep that line of communication open. So I expect that will happen.”

If Rodriguez declines the qualifying offer and signs with the Angels or another team, the Red Sox would receive draft compensation. The round for the draft pick the Red Sox would receive for losing Rodriguez would depend on how much the signing team pays Rodriguez and if the Red Sox are paying the luxury tax.

In addition to showing interest in Rodgriguez, the Angels are also looking at Toronto Blue Jays lefty Robbie Ray, Morosi added.

Rodriguez struggled for much of the 2021 season after missing the 2020 season due to myocarditis, which he got following his battle with COVID-19. Rodriguez went 13-8 with a career-worst 4.74 ERA this past season. He did bounce back a bit in the postseason. He gave up just two runs in five innings in Game 4 of the ALDS against the Rays and followed that up by allowing three runs in six innings in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Astros.

Rodriguez, 28, joined the Red Sox in 2014 when he was acquired in a midseason trade with the Orioles for Andrew Miller. The Red Sox called up Rodriguez in May 2015, and he’s been in the majors ever since. Rodriguez had his best season in 2019, posting career bests in wins (19), ERA (3.81), innings pitched (203.1), and strikeouts (213) en route to finishing in sixth in Cy Young voting that year.