Reports state that the Phillies have come to terms with free agent left-hander Wandy Rodriguez on a minor league contract.
In parts of 10 big league seasons, Rodriguez has tallied a 91-94 record along with a 4.06 ERA over 258 appearances.
The 35-year-old will join the list of former big league rotation contributors that the Phillies have signed with a low-risk outlook in recent years. During that time frame Dave Bush, Carlos Zambrano, John Lannan, Zach Miner and others have passed through Allentown’s Coca Cola Park, home of the Triple A IronPigs, without making an impact with the big league club.
Rodriguez’s 6.75 ERA in six big league starts for Pittsburgh last season as well as his 10.38 ERA in two starts for Double-A Altoona were alarming, but perhaps not as concerning as his aging arm.
As per Fangraphs, Rodriguez’s velocity is down. With a fastball that averaged 88.4 MPH last season virtually on an annual decline (90.2 average in 2009, 89.6 in 2010, 89.3 in 2011, 89.4 in 2012, 89.3 in 2013), Rodriguez’s arm is on the downturn.
Bouncing back from knee surgery last summer, the Dominican Republic native has made two appearances in the Dominican Winter League, allowing one earned run in seven innings for the Aguilas.
Look for Rodriguez to add depth for Lehigh Valley and not much else.
