Ever since coming over in the 2014 Andrew Miller trade, Rodriguez has both dazzled and frustrated Red Sox fans. A perennial strike zone nibbler, E-Rod began striking out more than a batter per inning in the 2017 season. However, it came with the caveat of not pitching deep into games. While Rodriguez wasn't as bad as Dice-K or Drew Pomeranz in this regard, it was aggravating nonetheless. I often wondered if he would be better deployed as a multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen.
Then 2019 happened. Particularly in the second half, Rodriguez shed his "nibbler" reputation by pounding the strike zone more often, which led to more contact but also deeper starts. The strikeout rate lowered but this was by design. For the first time in his career E-Rod showed consistency at the major league level, becoming a 200-IP, 200-K starter. He made 21 starts of at least six innings, led baseball with 34 starts total, and had a 2.95 ERA in the second. 2019 didn't go the way any Red Sox fan expected it to, but Rodriguez's emergence was something to latch onto.
2020:
Sure, 2020 didn't go the way any Sox fan wanted it to, but this time things were particularly rough on Eddie. He was ultimately diagnosed with myocarditis (a heart condition) following a bout with COVID-19. He missed the entire season.
Contract Situation:
Rodriguez is a free agent following the 2021 campaign. Both sides should seemingly be interested in a new deal at year's end, though it makes sense for E-Rod to play the season out after his condition last summer.
2021 And Beyond:
The 27-year-old has zero restrictions entering spring training and is being treated like any other starting pitcher in camp. This is fantastic news, as Rodriguez's situation is a reminder of the seriousness of the pandemic. As for his performance, Boston would be thrilled to see him continue pitching deep into starts. Even if he isn't a 200-inning guy again, fully ridding himself of always trying to get batters to chase would be seen as a positive. He's needed for this team to make any sort of playoff push, even after Chris Sale returns. Rodriguez will likely be named the team's Opening Day starter on April 1st.
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