Johnathan Rodríguez’s latest chance in the majors comes with a new uniform and a familiar kind of opening.
The former Guardians outfielder was claimed off waivers by the Athletics from the Pirates on Thursday and sent to Triple-A Las Vegas, putting him one step away from a big league roster that has been battered by injuries. With the way Oakland’s depth chart has been shredded, it may not be long before Rodríguez is needed in West Sacramento.
Rodríguez spent parts of six seasons working his way through Cleveland’s minor league system before reaching the majors, but his time at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario never really took off. He was designated for assignment at the end of this year’s spring training, and the carousel started spinning.
Cleveland moved on to make room for Rhys Hoskins, and the Orioles grabbed Rodríguez off waivers next. Baltimore, led by former Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz, gave him two separate looks in the majors. He appeared in seven games total and went 2-for-11 before being designated for assignment again.
The Pirates were next to take a shot, but they mostly used him as insurance while sorting through their own outfield injuries. Rodríguez got into 15 games with Triple-A Indianapolis and raked to the tune of a .351/.424/.509 slashline with two home runs and 12 RBI. Still, once Oneil Cruz returned from the IL earlier this year, the path got crowded again and the DFA felt inevitable.
Now he lands with an Athletics club that is dealing with a long list of injuries of its own. Tyler Soderstrom is out for the year with a season-ending hip injury, and Jacob Wilson, Denzel Clarke, Shea Langeliers, Nick Kurtz and Brent Rooker are all on the IL as well.
Those absences have been a major reason the Athletics haven’t hit their ceiling this season, but they’ve also created room for players like Rodríguez to force their way into the picture. If he can make the most of this opening, there’s at least a lane toward the club’s 2027 plans.
That said, the runway is narrow. Rodríguez is already out of big league options, which means the Athletics would have to keep him on their major league roster all of next season - and keep him on the 40-man roster through the offseason - for that longer-term picture to hold.
The bat has done its part in the minors. Rodríguez owns a .896 OPS in 329 Triple-A games.
What he hasn’t done yet is translate that production to the majors. This may be the opportunity that finally changes that.
In Other News...
Guardians Power Problem Keeps One Old Trade Looking Even Worse
Power has been one of the biggest question marks around Cleveland for a while, so it is hard not to look back at the November 2021 deal that sent Junior Caminero to Tampa Bay in exchange for Tobias Myers. At the time, it was the sort of prospect-for-pitching swap front offices make all the time, but the gap between the two players has only grown since then.
Caminero has since emerged as one of the American Leagues most dangerous power bats, breaking through as a full-time major league regular in 2024 and giving the Rays the kind of middle-of-the-order threat the Guardians can only wish they had more often. Myers, meanwhile, never found much traction in Cleveland and is now in Triple-A with the Mets, which leaves this trade looking like another painful reminder of how much value can disappear when a young slugger gets dealt before the breakout arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Face A Tough Center Field Decision Fans Can See Coming
The Guardians are staring at one of those decisions that can shape a roster for years, and it is already easy to see why center field is becoming such a focal point. Steven Kwan remains the most established name in the mix, while the organization also has a cluster of younger possibilities in Petey Halpin, Kahlil Watson, Aaron Walton and Jaison Chourio, each bringing a different blend of defense, offense and long-term appeal. For a club that has built so much around finding value before it gets expensive, this is exactly the kind of position where the front office has to balance certainty against upside.
Kwans case is the cleanest in the short term because he has already shown he can handle the job, but the larger question is how far Cleveland wants to go in trying to make him part of the future beyond that. The prospects behind him add intrigue, though none arrives with the same level of certainty, which leaves the Guardians weighing development timelines against the contract realities that usually drive these calls. Center field rarely stays quiet for long, and this is one of those situations where the answer may not be obvious until the club is forced to choose. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Have A Depth Problem They Cant Yet Explain
Rhys Hoskins landing on the injured list with a back injury was the latest reminder that Clevelands margin for error is getting thinner by the day. The Guardians answered by bringing up David Fry to take his roster spot, but the move came amid a broader injury picture that has started to nibble at the teams depth in a real way. Jo Adell has been working back from a lower-body issue, while Chase DeLauter is also dealing with one and is expected back soon.
For a club that has leaned on versatility and roster flexibility, the concern now is less about one absence than the possibility of a chain reaction. Cleveland is already looking at possible reinforcement options such as Daniel Schneemann, Kahlil Watson and Cooper Ingle if the outfield situation worsens, which tells you how quickly the conversation has shifted from filling one hole to preparing for more. The Guardians do not have a full-blown emergency yet, but the next injury might force them into a harder decision than theyd prefer. [Read more 🡒]