The 21-year-old right fielder (a supplemental first round pick in the 2036 draft) had been told that he was likely to be used as a trade chip, and in fact appeared to be the cornerstone of a deal that came within a hair’s breadth of being done. In the end, though, Rodriguez finished an intense week fully embedded in the Nine’s organization. Still, it was a trying period, and the news sent the native of Puerto Rico into a bit of a tailspin.
“No one likes to think they might be traded,” said Santa Clara manager Bob Russell. “And Javy-Rod is still wet behind the ears. I told him to suck it up and be a man, but nothing seemed to help.”
Until, apparently, one evening a couple days back where friends said Rodriguez “went a little bit bat-shit,’ and trashed his apartment. “He’s a good guy,” one of his neighbors said. “Usually quiet and pretty cool. Keeps his grass cut and everything.” But this night he pounded the walls and pushed furniture around for an hour before settling down.
“It was a little scary,” said Juanita Lauran, his girlfriend. “But I know what was happening. He’s worked so hard, and he’s doing so well. He comes from a tough family situation. To be told he might be traded. Well. It hurt him.” Lauren said she was never fearful for herself, and in fact spent the time of the tirade mostly moving important things out of his way to keep him from destroying them.
Rodriguez, it should be noted, has posted a solid .265/.417/.491 line to go with 20 homers and 24 doubles in a full AA season. He’s been, perhaps, overshadowed by players like Ricardo Mendoza and Mark Haynes, but that .417 OBP to go with some pop is hard to wrap your head around when you take a little time. At the end of the day, as the old cliché goes, it’s sometimes the trades you don’t make that are the most important, and it’s certainly possible that Nine fans will look back on this trade deadline with some satisfaction.
The following day, the kid arrived at the park with a different aura about him, going 2-3 with a two-run homer that some say might still be rising if it hadn’t hit the light post in right center, then following that with another 2-run shot the next day.
We’ll see what the future holds, but the fact is that his team is headed to the post-season and Rodriguez appears to be dialed in.