When the Tigers inked Eduardo Rodriguez to a contract during the offseason, they were betting on his strong underlying statistics translating to high quality innings at the top of the rotation. So far, that has not been the case. Through 25 2⁄3 innings, he has a 5.33 ERA but a 3.75 FIP with a 20.7 strikeout percentage and a 7.2 walk percentage. While some of his underlying numbers show promise, there is cause for concern.
In a fairly weak free agent pitching class, Rodriguez was among the top arms available. The Tigers jumped on him early before the lockout, signing him to a five year deal worth $77 million.