Earlier this week, the Pittsburgh Pirates decided to cut ties with outfielder Johnathan Rodriguez.
Well, Rodriguez will now head out west, as the Athletics have claimed him off waivers. Rodriguez was traded from the Baltimore Orioles to the Pirates in late July, and he’s bounced all across the league in his short career.
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Ex-Pirates Player Johnathan Rodriguez Claimed by Athletics
GettyCLEVELAND, OHIO – JUNE 19: Johnathan Rodriguez #30 and Will Brennan #17 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrate after the Guardians defeated the Seattle Mariners at Progressive Field on June 19, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Guardians defeated the Mariners 8-0. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Although he was a part of the organization, outfielder Johnathan Rodriguez did not appear in a game with the Pirates.
With the Orioles, Rodriguez appeared in just seven games this season and hit .182 in 15 plate appearances.
MLBTR.com’s Darragh McDonald wrote (about the recent news):
:All the movement is surely related to the fact that Rodríguez has put up massive minor league numbers but hasn’t yet hit in the majors. Over the past few seasons, he has stepped to the plate 1,403 times at the Triple-A level. In that time, he has hit 62 home runs and drawn walks at a strong 12.5% clip. That has led to a combined line of .298/.388/.508 line and a 135 wRC+.”
Perhaps his strong minor-league numbers could translate to the Athletics organization, as they are currently playing in a Minors park, which might help Johnathan Rodriguez be more productive at the dish.
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More on Johnathan Rodriguez…
GettySCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 24: Jose Herrera #11 of the Arizona Diamondbacks catches a pop foul hit by Johnathan Rodriguez #30 of the Cleveland Guardians during the fourth inning of a spring training game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 24, 2025 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
Johnathan Rodriguez has played in parts of three MLB seasons.
He debuted with the Cleveland Guardians in 2024 and logged 44 games played with the Guardians across two seasons.
Over 51 total games played in his career (113 at-bats), Rodriguez has two home runs, 17 RBI, a .177 batting average, and an OPS+ of 67.
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