Slugger Shavings 2061.3 - Roberto Rodriguez Gets His Due

[RT60]

Many years ago, in one of my earliest trades, I acquired Roberto Rodriguez. He was one of four players that came to Louisville in the 2052 trade that saw Damek Korbel go to Las Vegas. Rodriguez was the only player of the four to get any sustained playing time in Louisville.

Rodriguez was drafted in Round 2 of the 2049 draft and got as high as the #86 BBA prospect in 2055. He slowly worked his way up, first in the Las Vegas system, and then in Louisville's. He was a workhorse who pitched well. Not exceptional, but well enough to climb higher and higher. After finally getting a chance to start for the Sluggers in 2057, he had a difficult adjustment, having a career-high ERA of 5.65. He mostly started, but his inconsistency did see him relegated to the bullpen for a bit. This led a full-time role in the bullpen in 2059 and 2060, the latter year of which saw him peak with a stellar 3.70 ERA.

His bullpen success (and the woeful state of the Slugger's rotation) saw him get promoted back to the starting rotation in 2061, where he posted a respectable 9-13 and 4.93 ERA. He almost led the staff in WAR with 2.2, and was excellent defensively. He will almost certainly have a place in the rotation again next season as he enjoys his one-year 3.6M contract extension.