Luis Rodriguez Is Coming Back

by Jeff Sullivan on Nov 22, 2011 2:17 PM PST in Seattle Mariners Transactions

About three weeks ago, the Seattle Mariners outrighted Luis Rodriguez off of their 40-man roster. Rather than hang around and report to the minors, Rodriguez exercised his right to decline and become a free agent. At that point, Rodriguez was free to negotiate with all 30 teams, by which I mean all 30 Major League teams. Rodriguez was also free to negotiate with all other teams in other places, if he wanted to. Free! Free will!

I said my piece on Rodriguez back then, figuring he was probably gone. Now it's November 22nd, and he is the opposite of gone, as the Mariners have re-signed Rodriguez to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. For Rodriguez, all that time as a free agent must have really put things in perspective.

Rodriguez: Goodbye, Mariners. Hello, world of opportunity!
Rodriguez:
Rodriguez:
Rodriguez:
Rodriguez: Oh wow the Mariners could really use help

I suspect that the Mariners know of what Rodriguez is capable better than other teams do. I suspect that Rodriguez understands that the Mariners lack infield depth, and present a promising opportunity to get back to the Majors. I suspect that Rodriguez's contract includes an opt-out clause if he isn't in the Majors by a certain date early in the year. (Ed. note: June 1st! New CBA, everybody!)

So we're here, which is where we were. Rodriguez, right now, looks like he has a good chance of making the Mariners next season, but so many things could change between now and Opening Day that one shouldn't make assumptions. Rodriguez signed awful quick, suggesting that the Mariners might have said something, but that's just speculation. So is this: the truck parked outside my window hasn't moved for hours, and might have a bomb. That is speculation. Although if the truck does have a bomb that goes off, this will all be funny in a way that you guys can laugh at in three or four months.

Luis Rodriguez is 31 years old. He has it in him to be a useful semi-regular player. He could be less than that, but he is modestly talented, relative to Brendan Ryan, and extremely talented, relative to you. Having him is neat.

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Comments

New CBA

Don’t all minor league deals now include an opt-out clause if he’s not in the Majors by a certain date (June 1)?

by benihana on Nov 22, 2011 2:27 PM PST reply actions

Well they sure do

god damn you, complicated new CBA

by Jeff Sullivan on Nov 22, 2011 2:29 PM PST up reply actions

This news makes me way too happy.

by FaceRuiner on Nov 22, 2011 2:29 PM PST reply actions

I like to think that there's something I'm more talented at than Luis Rodriguez.

I don’t have any clue what it is, but there must be something. I’m better than a major league baseball player at something.

by ScottBrowne on Nov 22, 2011 2:34 PM PST reply actions

I'm fairly positive I can run faster than Justin Smoak.

Which is embarrassing. It’s not like he’s a catcher or 40-years old. SHOW SOME HUSTLE, JUSTIN.

by SeattleJunkieQueen on Nov 22, 2011 5:40 PM PST up reply actions

Prove it

by abender20 on Nov 22, 2011 6:02 PM PST up reply actions

You can probably run faster than me, too.

Doesn’t mean much though. I get to top pace pretty quick but my top pace is crap and I can’t maintain it.
I’d be willing to bet I could beat a bunch of baseball players over the first, say, five yards. I’d also be willing to bet that most of them would still beat me to the bag.
I’d also be willing to bet none of them can throw a spinning heel kick as well as I can, but that’s really irrelevant!

by Aussie Mariner on Nov 23, 2011 2:28 PM PST up reply actions

He's probably way more 'talented' than you, in general

His talent seems to be making contact, which is a huge synthesis of innate gifts. He doesn’t seem to have a ton of refined skills though, so you might have him beat at, like, coding or something.

IGNORE ME

by tsunamijesus on Nov 23, 2011 10:46 AM PST up reply actions

Revision: by 'not a ton of refined skills' I mean he isn't a physical specimen, evincing a life of obsessive development and cultivation of skills

He clearly works very hard to be a versatile fielder and have great at-bats. I like the guy, but I think it says something when that kind of player doesn’t go away

IGNORE ME

by tsunamijesus on Nov 23, 2011 10:49 AM PST up reply actions

What motivation would a player have to take a minor league contract with months and months left before Spring Training?

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Nov 22, 2011 2:39 PM PST reply actions

I'm not entirely sure

but Rodriguez signed with the Mariners at pretty much this exact time a year ago.

by Jeff Sullivan on Nov 22, 2011 2:40 PM PST up reply actions

I guess he figures he has a better shot to do something/lead to something bigger with the M's this year compared to any other team.

Or he really, really likes something about Seattle.

by Aussie Mariner on Nov 22, 2011 3:12 PM PST up reply actions

Maybe he tested the waters in the last few weeks and got an idea that there just isn't a huge market for Luis Rodriguez.

by abender20 on Nov 22, 2011 4:36 PM PST up reply actions

It's a minor league contract. He could have waited until free agency started to work its way out and see what happens.

He’d get a minor league contract somewhere if no better offers showed up.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Nov 22, 2011 4:39 PM PST up reply actions

I said maybe. Gosh.

by abender20 on Nov 22, 2011 5:02 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs

Maybe he was happy with the Mariners and when no one came around trying to pound his door in, he decided just to re-up with the team

by seattlebruin on Nov 22, 2011 5:03 PM PST up reply actions

Mostly likely the phone rang and he knew it was them.

Mariners probably hit him up, told him they wanted to re-up, and since he can hold down the infield. Plus when the game is clutch they know that he’ll deliver, since he seemed to hold that down. I’m guessing Rodriguez was starting to break and didn’t want to wait since it was getting late, so they shook on it.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Nov 22, 2011 5:38 PM PST up reply actions

This makes him sound like a 40 year old woman who wants kids and gets back together with her marginally retarded boyfriend

by seattlebruin on Nov 22, 2011 7:30 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs

Oh really, I thought it sounded more like a former All My Children star that joined Dream Street before embarking on a solo career.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Nov 22, 2011 7:39 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

by JY on Nov 22, 2011 6:56 PM PST reply actions 4 recs

So is this: the truck parked outside my window hasn’t moved for hours, and might have a bomb. That is speculation. Although if the truck does have a bomb that goes off, this will all be funny in a way that you guys can laugh at in three or four months.

If you look at those UZR ratings or whatever

by dfa on Nov 25, 2011 10:46 PM PST reply actions