A Wandy Rodriguez trade could open up more possibilities for Red Sox
The Red Sox GM, Ben Cherington is far from done his shopping this off season. After a deal that sent his second shortstop out of town the rookie GM continues to explore possibilities and trades that could improve his ball club. While Roy Oswalt continues to be a front runner in the free-agent scenario, Wandy Rodriguez of the Houston Astros also remains on Cherington’s radar.
Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports that the lefty starting pitcher is still of interest to the Red Sox and the club has been “keeping tabs” on him. While a deal hasn’t been discussed and the Sox would probably prefer to sign Oswalt, Rodriguez is worth keeping an eye on, especially if Houston is willing to eat most of his salary.
The Scutaro deal freed up $6 million that would allow Oswalt to sign in Boston. But as we’ve heard in the past, the Astros may be willing to eat most of Wandy’s salary in order to move him, allowing for more possibilities for the Red Sox.
Currently Rodriguez is set to make $10 million this season which is considerably higher than the allotted budget that Cherington is working with. Oswalt’s $8 million is much more flexible as a result of the Scutaro trade. For the Red Sox to take on all of Rodriguez’s salary would likely be a deal breaker and given he’s scheduled to make $13 million next year, Houston would have to take on a good chunk of the guaranteed money.
The Astros currently have a $13 million club option on Rodriguez for the 2014 season, but that then turns into a player option if he is traded.
If Houston would eat most of Wandy’s $10 million, say $7 million for this year, that could potentially allow Cherington to address his right-field options by signing Cody Ross. The former World Series MVP is looking for a two-year deal and has some interest from the New York Mets. Ross could possibly be had for around $5-$6 million for this season and throw on the $3 million required to take on in the Rodriguez contract and suddenly this scenario goes from good to great for the Red Sox. Not only do they add another quality starting pitcher who happens to be a lefty, but they also address the right-field needs, which has become more of an issue since Carl Crawford recently underwent surgery.
It’s uncertain as to what the Astros would want in return for Rodriguez, although a package of Felix Doubront and a Bryce Bentz complimented with some other AA players may be enough to pull the trigger. It’s highly unlikely the Red Sox would be willing to part ways with any other roster players, although as we’ve learnt lately, anything can happen.
For all the latest news and analysis from BoSox Injection, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or with our RSS feed.