Oakland Athletics pitcher Fernando Rodriguez had a fairly solid spring, all things considered. His 4.09 ERA over 11 innings and nine appearances was nothing to write home about, but he did rack up 14 strikeouts without walking a single batter.
Over the winter, the A’s added several former closers to solidify their late-inning options behind current closer Sean Doolittle. They recognized that even with Doolittle healthy, there’s no use in having an outstanding closer if the bullpen is going to blow the lead in the sixth or seventh inning. In the process, they got rid of nearly the entire 2015 relief staff – but elected to keep Rodriguez.