Baseball has a way of giving you the last thing you’d expect.
Fernando Rodney began the 2019 season with the Oakland A’s. After posting a 9.42 ERA in 17 games, the right-hander was designated for assignment and released at the end of May. At age 42 he was the oldest active player in the majors by nearly three years, and it was fair to assume he might be finished. Instead, five months later, he’ll suit up to pitch in the World Series.
Oakland A’s fans are acutely familiar with the volatility of relievers. We saw Blake Treinen turn from a cast-off to a historically great All-Star and then back down to a non-tender candidate in the span of about two calendar years, and we saw Liam Hendriks turn from a DFA into an All-Star in around 12 months.