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Three fallback options if the Cardinals can't sign Aaron Nola
By Curt Bishop
Eduardo Rodriguez
Another interesting option in free agency may be Eduardo Rodriguez. He is expected to opt out of the remaining three years of his deal with the Tigers that he signed back in 2021.
Rodriguez has spent most of his career with the Red Sox and was part of the team's 2018 World Series championship run. This year, he put together his best season to date, winning 13 games and posting a 3.30 ERA. He also averaged 8.4 strikeouts per game, so he could bring some swing-and-miss to a Cardinals rotation that sorely needs it.
One concern for Rodriguez is his injury history, and the Cardinals may want to think twice about that before committing to him. He had a finger injury that kept him out from late May to early July. The 30-year-old also injured his ribcage in 2022.
However, when healthy, Rodriguez pitched to his full potential and helped the Tigers improve to 78-84 after 96 losses in 2022. He's a similar pitcher to Montgomery and could be had if the Cardinals need an extra fallback option.
Rodriguez is also a well-established veteran who has been around since 2015.