Last Friday, the Phillies reportedly signed 35-year-old left hander Wandy Rodriguez to a minor-league deal, as first reported by Santana Martinez and later Jon Heyman of CBSSports. It is presumed that this agreement, pending a physical before becoming official, contains an invitation to Spring Training. Rodriguez, a ten-year veteran, has played most of his career with the Houston Astros.
Currently, Rodriguez is throwing in the Dominican Republic's winter baseball league as a member of the Aguilas Cibaenas. Friday evening, he got the start against former Phillie, left-hander Raul Valdes.
In a battle of once versus future Phillie, the latter ultimately prevailed. Rodriguez allowed just one earned run on one walk and four hits in five innings of work, striking out eight batters. The sole run given up was a homer to 27-year-old catcher Mayo Acosta, a member of the Tampa Bay Rays' organization.
Valdes allowed four earned runs on six hits and two walks in seven innings of work, striking out four batters. He too allowed a solo-shot in the game, with it being to 28-year-old San Francisco Giants' outfielder Juan Perez.
Ironically, long-time Red Sox and two-time World Series champion Manny Ramriez, 42, brought home a key run in the bottom of the eighth inning for the Aguilas Cibaenas with a RBI single. The Toros del Este tied the game in the next half-inning with four runs. In the bottom of the tenth, a throwing error by Toros pitcher Frank Garces allowed Danny Richar to score the winning run for Rodriguez's team.
Wandy Rodriguez made his Major League debut, against the Chicago Cubs on May 23, 2005, as a member of the Astros, a team that eventually went on to appear in the World Series that season. He received a losing decision, allowing four earned runs on six hits and a walk in 5.2 innings pitched. His two home runs allowed, a solo-shot by center fielder Corey Patterson in the fifth, and a two-run homer by right fielder Jeromy Burnitz in the sixth, was all Chicago needed to break the 1-1 tie and go on to win the game, 4-1.
The best season career-wise for the southpaw came in 2009, where he posted a 14-12 record and a 3.02 ERA, striking out 193 batters in 205.2 innings pitched. Throughout the early years of Rodriguez's career with Houston, he put up consistent numbers each season: around 10 wins with a respectable ERA in the mid-range of 3.
With the Astros looking to rebuild, Rodriguez was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 24, 2012, for left-hander Colton Cain (minors), switch-hitting outfielder Robbie Grossman and left-hander Rudy Owens. In 30 career starts with Pittsburgh, Rodriguez was 11-10 with a 4.16 ERA.
If the minor-league deal with the Phillies follows through, Rodriguez will surely make the big league roster come April barring any set-back in Clearwater. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. will likely look to flip the left-hander this Summer for prospects, the main reason for bringing him to Philadelphia in the first place.
Matt Rappa (@mattrappa) is a contributor to Philliedelphia.com.
