Detroit has been searching for a veteran closer and finally found their man, as Venezuelan reporter Augusto Cardenas writes that the Tigers have acquired Francisco Rodriguez from the Brewers in exchange for minor leaguer Javier Betancourt.
This marks the second time the Brewers have traded Rodriguez, who was previously sent to the Orioles for minor leaguer Nick Delmonico in mid-2013 and then re-signed with Milwaukee as a free agent that offseason.
He saved 44 games in 2014 and 38 games this year, logging a total of 125 innings with a 2.66 ERA and 135/29 K/BB ratio between the two seasons. Rodriguez is no longer the flame-throwing phenom from his early Angels days, but at age 34 he remains a high-end reliever and has never struck out fewer than a batter per inning in any season.
Betancourt is a 21-year-old second baseman who spent this year at high Single-A hitting .263 with three homers and a .640 OPS in 122 games. He had similarly underwhelming numbers last season at low Single-A and is not considered a top prospect.
Rodriguez is signed for $7.5 million in 2016 and his contract includes a $6 million team option or $2 million buyout for 2017, so the Tigers are hoping he’ll be a two-year fix for their perpetually shaky bullpen.