New York Mets Josh Rodriguez Hoping for Second Chance
By David Hill
Life in the minor leagues can be a trying experience. Far from the glamour and privileged lifestyle that major league players enjoy, minor league players have to endure countless hours on buses as they travel from game to game, the joys of fast food and peanut butter sandwiches because they cannot afford anything else and having to spend all that time apart from their families. In the end, that hope to reach the majors makes all of those bus rides, the poor accommodations and difficult nights worth it.
For players like the New York Mets Josh Rodriguez, that journey has taken a lot longer than expected. Originally drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the second round of the 2006 MLB Amateur Draft, Rodriguez reached the AAA level in 2010, where he posted a solid .293/.372/.486 batting line with 12 home runs and 24 doubles in 86 games. As a player who was primarily a shortstop and second baseman, that production was excellent.
That season led to Rodriguez being selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Rule V Draft, where he was required to spend the season on the major league roster or be returned back to the Indians. As it turned out, Rodriguez spent approximately three weeks at the major league level, going 1-12 with a walk and a hit by pitch, striking out eight times. He was sent back to the Indians, and later purchased by the Pirates, but has not returned to the majors since.
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Currently, Josh Rodriguez is in his third year in the New York Mets system. Originally signed by the team prior to the 2012 season, he spent the 2014 season with the New Orleans Zephyrs in the Marlins organization, only to head back to the Mets prior to this year. Right now, the 30 year old Rodriguez is with the Binghampton Mets of the AA Eastern League, quite a long way from returning to the majors.
Rodriguez is certainly doing well at Bringhampton. He has a .282/.357/.506 batting line, and is leading the Eastern League with 15 home runs. With that production, and considering that Rodriguez has played at least ten games at each infield position, he would appear to be the type of player that could help a team.
That would be, if Rodriguez was a few years younger. Now, at age 30, no matter how impressive Rodriguez’s stat line may be, his chances of returning to the majors may be fleeting. Yet, he is still out there, toiling away in the Eastern League, hoping for one more chance at the major leagues.
Baseball history is littered with players like Josh Rodriguez, who receive a brief trial in the major leagues and, despite several more years of minor league ball, never make get another chance. For now, the New York Mets farmhand and minor league veteran is hoping to buck the odds, and get that elusive second chance at the major league level.