MIAMI — Detroit Tigers left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, one of the most talked-about names amongst postseason contenders ahead of Tuesday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline, was supposed to start Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Instead, the Tigers have pushed his start to Wednesday in Pittsburgh.
“We don’t want Eduardo dealing with the unknown,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Sunday. “I have no idea what’s going to happen. The trade deadline is at 6 o’clock. We play at 7. It’s totally unfair to him to have to juggle both.”
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The opener of the two-game series against the Pirates is scheduled to begin 65 minutes after the trade deadline. Right-hander Matt Manning will start Tuesday, followed by Rodriguez on Wednesday.
Right-hander Reese Olson could start Wednesday if the Tigers trade Rodriguez. By that point, the Tigers might have four active starters — Manning, Olson, left-hander Tarik Skubal and lefty Joey Wentz — on the 26-man roster with righty Alex Faedo waiting in Triple-A Toledo to complete the five-man rotation. (Faedo can’t be activated until Aug. 7 because he was recently optioned to the Mud Hens.)
The Tigers have off days Monday and Thursday.
“We’re in a really good position around this deadline because of the days off,” Hinch said. “We’re going to have to juggle some things, or we may not. I don’t know what’s going to happen. We’re obviously in touch with the (front) office, and they’re grinding through what the options are, but for us, we’re just trying to make it as stress-free on our players as it gets closer and closer to the deadline.”
Both Rodriguez and right-hander Michael Lorenzen could be traded before Tuesday’s deadline. Rodriguez and his family love Detroit and want to stay, but baseball is a business.
Hinch explained the humanistic side of the trade deadline for players.
“You go from one clubhouse to another, and we just automatically move on as fans or as people in the sport,” Hinch said. “Meanwhile, there’s family back home, or there’s a wife and kids, or somebody is packing up an apartment or house. That’s not easy on players from the people side of them.”
Rodriguez signed a five-year, $77 million contract in November 2022. The 30-year-old, who has a 2.95 ERA in 15 starts, could exercise the opt-out clause — which makes him difficult to trade — in his contract after this season, leaving three years and $49 million on the table.
He also has a 10-team no-trade clause in his contract.
“Whatever happens in the future is not under my control,” Rodriguez said July 18 in Kansas City, Missouri. “The only thing I can control is going out there every five days to help my team win the game. … If my future is in somebody else’s hands, then it’s in somebody else’s hands.”
Lorenzen, who has a 3.58 ERA in 18 starts, is the easiest starting pitcher for the Tigers to trade because of his standard one-year, $8.5 million contract. The 31-year-old, a first-time All-Star this season, is scheduled to pitch Friday for the Tigers against the Tampa Bay Rays on seven days of rest. In his most recent start, Lorenzen allowed three runs and struck out seven Los Angeles Angels over five innings on July 27.
But Lorenzen will be ready to pitch as early as Tuesday for other teams.
“I’m going through my routine,” Lorenzen said Sunday. “I’m not starting until Friday, but anything can happen, so I’m preparing to start on five days no matter what. I’m getting prepped for that and making sure my body is in a good spot.”
Regarding possible trades, Lorenzen said he hasn’t heard anything from Hinch or president of baseball operations Scott Harris. The Baltimore Orioles, among other teams, have reportedly expressed interest in him.
Lorenzen is set to become a free agent after this season.
“In my mind, I just have to prepare for a start,” Lorenzen said. “When that is, I don’t know. I’m going through my normal routine. If that was my last start with the Tigers, then it was great. I loved every second of it.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.