Boston is seemingly taking a volume approach at second base as they haven’t found an impact player on the trade front. Isiah Kiner Fear is the presumptive starter after agreeing to a $6 million deal last night. Romy González will see a fair amount of playing time against left-handed pitching, while David Hamilton And Nick Sogard are in the mix as consumables.
Rodgers will be their most experienced non-roster prospect. The 29-year-old infielder played more than six years in the Majors. The third overall pick in 2015 by the Rockies, he was Colorado’s starting second baseman from 2021-2024. Rodgers won a Gold Glove in ’22 thanks to a spike in his defensive runs saved. Otherwise, he is rated as an average defender. The righty hitter had some league-average performances early in his career, but his production has dipped over the past three years.
The Rockies did not tender Rodgers after the ’24 season. He signed a minor league deal with the Astros and made the opening day roster. Rodgers remained on the roster all year, but hit just .191/.266/.278 with two home runs in 43 games. Injuries prevented him from appearing in an MLB game after mid-June. He went down with an oblique strain and then suffered a concussion in an on-field collision during a minor league rehab game. Rodgers tried to get going again in August, but suffered back problems that kept him out all year.
Rodgers has a batting line of .254/.307/.384 in over 800 plate appearances over the past three seasons. He’s also been held back by a lack of defensive versatility, having not played anywhere other than second base since 2021. That’s not a problem if he hits enough to play every day, but that’s a difficult profile to fulfill on a four-man bench. While Boston’s second starting spot is small enough that Rodgers winning the job isn’t out of the question, recent returns haven’t been encouraging.
A six-year player who finished last season on Houston’s major league injured list, Rodgers hit the market as an Article XX(b) free agent. That means this deal comes with three automatic opt-out dates under the collective bargaining agreement. He can activate an out clause on March 22, May 1 or June 1. If he does, the Red Sox will have two days to promote him or grant him his release. It is therefore not a given that he would report to Triple-A if he does not break camp.
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