The Twins were involved in discussions to land Tigers starter Eduardo Rodriguez before the trade deadline Tuesday, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Rosenthal reports that Minnesota was “one of four or five teams” involved in discussions of a three-team deal that would’ve also involved the Dodgers. Minnesota would’ve acquired Rodriguez while sending a starting pitcher to L.A., according to Rosenthal.
The Twins were one of four or five teams involved in such discussions, sources said; the Rays were another. Like Rodriguez, Twins right-handers Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda are potential free agents. Either would have bolstered the Dodgers. But the talks never gained traction, in part because they occurred so close to the deadline and the deal was too complex for the parties to reach agreement quickly.
“Talks never gained traction, in part because they occurred so close to the deadline and the deal was too complex for the parties to reach agreement quickly,” Rosenthal says.
Rodriguez has a 2.96 ERA with 96 strikeouts and 22 walks while opposing batters are slashing .222/.269/.337 against him this season.
The Tigers and Dodgers had reportedly been set for a straight swap of Dodgers prospects for Rodriguez before the 30-year old used his no-trade clause to block the deal.
