A former St. Louis Cardinals fireballer is on the move again after failing to climb out of the minor leagues with the 11-time World Series champions.
Despite entering the league as an international free agent in 2009, a former Cardinals hurler hopes to play for the New York Yankees after signing a minor league deal with the Bronx.
“The Yankees and right-hander Wilking Rodríguez have agreed to a minor league deal,” Just Baseball’s Aram Leighton first reported Thursday morning. “Rodríguez had signed with the Yankees in 2022 before the Cardinals took him in the Rule 5. Injuries have limited him, but fastball has averaged 97 mph in winter ball.”
Rodríguez was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2009 but didn’t make his Major League Baseball debut until 2014 with the Kansas City Royals.
The 34-year-old was claimed off waivers by the Cardinals in the 2022 offseason after failing to return to the big leagues with the Yankees. Unfortunately, Rodríguez didn’t pitch much for the Cardinals affiliates, primarily due to a right shoulder injury.
The Venezuela native posted a 0-1 record with a 6.17 ERA, 17-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .186 batting average against and a 1.63 WHIP in 11 2/3 innings pitched between his time playing for Single-A Palm Beach and Triple-A Memphis this year.
After two years in the Cardinals’ farm system, Rodríguez never earned the right to suit up at Busch Stadium. His battle with injuries and poor performance in the minors led to his release shortly before this season ended.
Could Rodríguez be another former Cardinals pitcher the Yankees acquire and turn into a valuable asset in the back of their bullpen?
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