Sports Time Radio

I have to say that I’m a little surprised that we’ve seen some Major League Baseball players sign new contracts since the Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to expire on December 1st, but we had some signings this week. I guess when you get the contract you’re looking for you sign; no matter when it is.

There where three signings this week and they where all starting pitchers. Two of these pitchers will be joining new teams while the third resigned with the team that traded for him last season. Well let’s see who signed where and for how much.

The Detroit Tigers made the first signing of the week as they add left hander Eduardo Rodriguez on a five year $77 million dollar deal that could actually reach $80 million dollars if Rodriguez hits all of the incentives in his contract.

Rodriguez pitched 157 2/3rds innings last season. He appeared in 32 games; 31 of which here starts. He had a 13-8 record with an ERA of 4.74 for the Boston Red Sox. Rodriguez didn’t pitch in 2020, but in 2019 he posted the best season of his career. He went 19- 6 with an ERA of 3.81 and finished 6th in the Cy Young award voting.

Rodriguez will turn 29 years old in April and barring any other free agent signings by the Tigers will be looked at as the #1 starter and the pitcher to lead the Tigers up and coming young starting pitchers. That will be a new role for Rodriguez and will have to see how he handles that.

The pitcher who decided to resign with his team was Jose Berrios who inked a seven year $131 million dollar deal to stay with the Toronto Blue Jays. Berrios will be paid $11 million dollars in 2021 which would’ve been his final year of arbitration. After the 2021 season Berrios will then be paid $20 million dollars a year through the remaining six years of his contract. Berrios does have an opt out after the fifth year of his deal.

Berrios was one of the most attractive trade pieces at last years deadline and the Blue Jays gave up two highly regarded prospects to acquire him; so it makes sense for them to resign him and keep him around long term.

Berrios made 12 starts for the Blue Jays season covering 70 1/3rd innings. He was 5-4 with an ERA of 3.58. Overall last season he made 32 starts going 12-9 with a 3.52 ERA while pitching 192 innings. Berrios also threw a complete game last season.

What makes the Berrios signing even bigger for the Blue Jays is the fact that Cy Young award front runner Robbie Ray is a free agent; so having Berrios under contract will help the rotation if Ray ends up signing somewhere else this off season.

Berrios will settle into a Toronto rotation that also has Hyun-Jin Ryu and Alex Manoah. They could possibly be joined by top prospect Nate Pearson who’s been off injured.

The final signing so far this week was made by the Los Angeles Angels who had been rumored to be looking for multiple starting pitchers this off season. If that’s their plan it’s off to a good start as they added Noah Syndergaard on a one year $21 million dollar deal pending him passing a physical.

Now there is some risk in signing Syndergaard as he’s only pitched 2 innings over the past two seasons, but there could also be a big reward if he is healthy and can give the Angels 30 plus starts.

Syndergaard turned 29 years old in August and has spent his entire career with the New York Mets. Syndergaard has pitched in 121 career games with 120 of those games being starts. He has a career record of 47-31 with an ERA of 3.32. Syndergaard has 3 career complete games with two of those being shutouts. Syndergaard has always been looked at as a high strikeout pitcher and he has a Strikeout per 9 inning rate of 9.7 for his career and has posted three seasons of a Strikeout per 9 inning rate over 10.

Obviously the biggest question with Syndergaard will be health, but it’s not a huge gamble for the Angels as he’s just on a one year deal. It actually seems like a bigger gamble for Syndergaard who’s really gambling on himself next season. If he pitches well and looks like his former self he’ll be one of he top free agents on the markets heading into the 2022 season and will be in line for a long term big money contract.

So I’m not only interested in what you think about these three signings, but if you think will see anymore signings before the current Collective Bargaining Agreement comes to an end. Feel free to throw in who the player you think might sign next will be and which team you think that player will sign with.

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