Veteran reliever Fernando Rodney has been released, the Athletics announced on Tuesday. Rodney was in the last year of his contract after the A’s picked up his $4.25 million club option in October.
Rodney, 42, was torched for 15 runs on 20 hits and 12 walks with 14 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings before being designated for assignment over the weekend.
While it would make sense that a struggling pitcher in his 40’s might not draw a lot of interest, the truth is most teams are in the market for bullpen help in one way or another. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Rodney latch on with another team on a minor league deal. The A’s are still on the hook for the remainder of his salary minus the prorated major league minimum if he catches on elsewhere.
