To kick off the Diamondbacks’ 2024 campaign, head coach Torey Lovullo has announced that newcomer Eduardo Rodriguez will start their first Spring Training game.
After opting out of his contract with the Detroit Tigers, Rodriguez signed a four-year, $80 million deal with the Diamondbacks in early December.
The 8-year veteran posted a 13-9 record with a 3.30 ERA with the Tigers last season. His standout performance came in 2019 while with the Boston Red Sox. Finishing 6th in Cy Young voting, Rodriguez led the league with 34 starts, notched 19 wins, and surpassed the 200-strikeout threshold for the first time in his career.
Rodriguez represents one of several successful moves made by the Diamondbacks this offseason, including re-signing Lourdes Gurriel Jr., adding Eugenio Suarez, and securing Joc Pederson.
Now, he joins what appears to be one of the best sets of starting pitchers in MLB, alongside Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen.
The Diamondbacks’ first spring training game is scheduled for this Friday, with the first pitch at 1:10 pm against the Colorado Rockies.
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