#2: Fernando Rodney
In 2015, Fernando Rodney pitched so poorly for the Mariners that Seattle sent him to the Chicago Cubs for almost nothing. He turned things around, finishing the year with a 0.75 ERA in 14 outings for the Cubs, including 15 strikeouts.
After signing with the San Diego Padres in the off-season, Rodney has been unhittable. Perhaps that’s not exactly true – he has given up eight hits, and he’s walked 10 – but against 79 batters in just over 21 innings, Rodney has yet to allow a run. Rodney has also saved 11 games for the Padres, who only have 24 wins on the year.
His price tag makes him an even more desirable pickup. Rodney took a $1.6 million deal this year, with a team option for $2 million in 2017. A team who wants to take a gamble on his resurgence may need to cough up a decent prospect to convince the Padres to part ways with him, but since they’ve already begun dealing away players like James Shields, it’s probably not long before the relievers start to go too.
Possible Landing Spot: New York Mets
The Mets have one of the best rotations in baseball, if not the best, but teams always need more quality relievers. Rodney’s distinct personality would fit in on a team where the starting pitchers go by superhero aliases and Bartolo Colon does Bartolo things. A Rodney trade is a bit of a wild card, given that the Padres seem to think they can contend every season, but he would be a good match for New York if they decide to deal him.
Next: The Flamethrowing Closer