Dodgers deal for Eduardo Rodriguez dies with no-trade clause

The Dodgers appeared to find the other starting pitcher they were looking for, agreeing to trade for Tigers left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez from the Detroit Tigers, but the veteran left-hander invoked his no-trade clause, per both Jeff Passan at ESPN and Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic.

The Dodgers’ interest in Rodriguez was reported numerous times over the last week, including by Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times and Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic on Monday. The Dodgers were also interested in Justin Verlander, who was traded by the Mets to the Astros earlier Tuesday.

Rodriguez has a 2.96 ERA and 3.46 xERA in 15 starts this season, with 91 strikeouts and 21 walks in 88⅓ innings. His 25.9-percent strikeout rate is higher than any Dodgers starter except Clayton Kershaw (27.7 percent) and Lance Lynn (26.9 percent).

The 30-year-old left-hander missed five weeks, including all of June, with an index finger pulley rupture. Since returning from the injured list, he has a 5.66 ERA in four starts, with 24 strikeouts and five walks in 20⅔ innings.

Rodriguez was originally scheduled to start on Tuesday, but moved him back a day to account for possible trade deadline distractions. Evan Petzold in the Detroit Free Press has more.

Rodriguez is making $14 million in the second season of a five-year deal signed with the Tigers in November 2021, leaving about $4.67 million for the remainder of 2023. There are three years and $49 million remaining on his contract, but he can opt out of the deal and into free agency after the World Series.

Now the Dodgers must turn elsewhere for help in a rotation in desperate need of stability. Los Angeles starters rank 26th in ERA (4.76) and 16th in FIP (4.37). In July, Dodgers starting pitchers had a 6.18 ERA, the worst mark by the franchise since World War II.