Arizona Diamondbacks News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Sep 27, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (57) delivers during the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

D-backs' 'Untradeable' Contract is an Ugly One

Originally posted on Arizona Diamondbacks on SI
By Alex D'Agostino | Last updated Nov 9, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Arizona Diamondbacks will most likely be going into 2026 with a lowered payroll. After reaching franchise-record levels in each of the past two seasons, Arizona will look to recoup some of their available funds this offseason.

That provides GM Mike Hazen with a challenge as to how to improve a roster with a bevy of needs.

Part of this payroll decrease can be attributed to the fact that Arizona has sunk a large amount of money into veteran starting pitchers Eduardo Rodriguez and Corbin Burnes — who have yet to yield the results the D-backs had hoped for.

And according to a recent article from Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter, these deals are among the more "untradeable" contracts in baseball.

For the purpose of this article, Burnes will be ignored due to the fact that he underwent Tommy John Surgery after 11 starts and posted 2.66 ERA in that span. There is time and room for Burnes to be worth his $210 million contract.

Rodriguez, on the other hand, is an ugly deal the D-backs are likely stuck with.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Eduardo Rodriguez Deal is "Untradeable"

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"After going 13-9 with a 3.30 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 143 strikeouts in 152.2 innings in 2023, Eduardo Rodríguez opted out of the final three years of his five-year, $77 million contract with the Detroit Tigers," Reuter wrote.

"It proved to be the right decision, as he turned that strong performance into a new four-year, $80 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"With $46 million still on the books, and a 5.02 ERA and 0.5 WAR in 204.1 innings over the last two years, he looks like a sunk cost likely to fill a spot at the back of the Arizona rotation or as a long reliever out of the bullpen."

The D-backs made the sizable investment in Rodriguez after the 2023 season. At the time, it looked like a move that would bring significantly more stability to the rotation — even if Rodriguez didn't pitch like an ace.

But instead, Arizona got only 50 innings of a 5.04 ERA out of the southpaw following a significant shoulder injury in spring training ahead of 2024.

Rodriguez was mostly healthy in 2025, but still underperformed. Though he put together a solid stretch of starts toward the end of the season, he still posted a 5.02 ERA and struggled with leaving hittable pitches over the middle.

With two years and $40 million left on the deal, unless Rodriguez turns a corner and begins pitching at a high level, it's going to be a difficult contract to stomach. It's highly unlikely any other team would bring on that kind of production in a 34-year-old veteran for that high of a price.

If the D-backs do look to part with Rodriguez, it will have to be via DFA. They've taken that route before, with Madisom Bumgarner being an example in 2023, but it's still a tough one to swallow after Hazen made a clear effort to invest in Arizona's roster.

Arizona is looking to make significant changes to its pitching development, check out the below article for the details: