Washington Nationals: Seven players that could be traded away
By Blake Finney
Jefry Rodriguez
A bit of a wildcard trade candidate here, but after Jefry Rodriguez made his big league debut in 2018, it’s conceivable he could depart via trade to bring back big league talent. He’s flashed promise, but on a win-now team, he isn’t necessarily a perfect fit.
In 14 appearances in the big leagues in 2018, he held an unimpressive 5.71 ERA as his control failed him with 35 walks compared to 39 strikeouts. He only really displayed two real major league ready pitches, so some are now questioning whether he even has a future in the rotation.
With a plus fastball and plus curveball, if given time to adjust he could easily be a dominant reliever, giving a team that acquires him a safe floor. A potential suitor could still try him out in the rotation though, as he was clearly trying to develop his changeup as a third offering that could keep major league hitters off balance.
However, the issue with Rodriguez has always been his control as, throughout his professional career, he posses a 4.3 BB/9, which won’t cut it at the highest level for a starter. It’s not something that pitchers typically tend to magically find over time as they go on through their careers, hence the possibility of a switch to the bullpen.
Rodriguez would be a perfect fit on a team like the Pittsburgh Pirates who usually seem to unearth the potential in pitchers and turn them into serviceable major leaguers. Unfortunately, for the Nats, it just doesn’t make much sense to hold onto Rodriguez given the better rotation options they have currently and the ones they plan to add.
UPDATE 11/30: Jefry Rodriguez was traded to the Cleveland Indians in the Yan Gomes deal.