Emmanuel Rodriguez in Winter Ball

[Richie the Rally Goat]

46 minutes ago, ChangeUp17 said:

Hi All - Reds fan here.  My Reds are looking to hopefully take another step forward after reaching the postseason with just 83 wins this past season, and their biggest need, by far, is a solid hitting outfielder.

I have been thinking that Rodriguez would be a good trade target.  What would the Twins need to receive in return for EM?  The Reds are deep in young pitching, and I think it would make sense to leverage that in a trade.  Would someone like Nick Lodolo interest the Twins?  He's a high potential young starter who has already proven his swing & miss stuff at the MLB level.  He has had a few weird injuries, but so has EM.

I think just about anyone on the Reds roster or in their system could be made available, except for maybe Elly, Noelvi Marte, and Sal Stewart, since they are probably our best offensive players, and we are needing to add rather subtract offense.

Thoughts?  

It would take a lot to pry away Rodriguez. The Twins have a lot of pitching, but if they were to trade away Lopez or Ryan, Lodolo might become more appealing. As things sit right now they have a couple Lodolo’s on the roster and really need cheap hitting, so this trade doesn’t make the most sense.

[ChangeUp17]

5 minutes ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

It would take a lot to pry away Rodriguez. The Twins have a lot of pitching, but if they were to trade away Lopez or Ryan, Lodolo might become more appealing. As things sit right now they have a couple Lodolo’s on the roster and really need cheap hitting, so this trade doesn’t make the most sense.

Yeah, I was kinda thinking that.  The only offense I can see the Reds giving up is a few years away in the minors (someone like catcher Alfredo Duno).  Perhaps it would take a 3-way trade to make this happen - Reds find a team in need of pitching that could trade surplus hitting in exchange for EM.  Still, why would the Twins trade an offensive talent like EM for hitting?  

Regardless of what the Reds have, what would the Twins be looking for in a trade involving EM?  Multiple strong prospects to support a rebuild?

[ashbury]

24 minutes ago, ChangeUp17 said:

Regardless of what the Reds have, what would the Twins be looking for in a trade involving EM?  Multiple strong prospects to support a rebuild?

A really good catcher and/or a really good first baseman, both under team control for several years, probably would be a starting point.  I won't mention shortstop since you listed de la Cruz as being untouchable.  I don't see a good match in the Reds' system.

You can never have too much (good) pitching, but the Twins have quite a number of MLB-ready arms who are unproven.

The Twins have an oversupply of outfielders on their 40-man to trade from.  So hitting at other locations on the field would be of interest. However the Twins don't really have an oversupply  of GOOD outfielders, so we're back to wondering why they would be looking to part with ERod in the first place.  

Now if this becomes part of a really massive makeover, with our two veteran rotation frontliners being dealt away, then replacing them with younger versions would be of interest and the combination you mentioned at the outset could come into play.

[Mike Sixel]

15 hours ago, ashbury said:

A really good catcher and/or a really good first baseman, both under team control for several years, probably would be a starting point.  I won't mention shortstop since you listed de la Cruz as being untouchable.  I don't see a good match in the Reds' system.

You can never have too much (good) pitching, but the Twins have quite a number of MLB-ready arms who are unproven.

The Twins have an oversupply of outfielders on their 40-man to trade from.  So hitting at other locations on the field would be of interest. However the Twins don't really have an oversupply  of GOOD outfielders, so we're back to wondering why they would be looking to part with ERod in the first place.  

Now if this becomes part of a really massive makeover, with our two veteran rotation frontliners being dealt away, then replacing them with younger versions would be of interest and the combination you mentioned at the outset could come into play.

It's hard to see then dealing him for anything less than a great prospect at another position. Or a veteran with at least three years of control at first or catcher that was league average or better, plus a prospect. He's likely their starting CF on two years or so....I just don't see them trading him. 

[ashbury]

2 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

It's hard to see then dealing him for anything less than a great prospect at another position. Or a veteran with at least three years of control at first or catcher that was league average or better, plus a prospect. He's likely their starting CF on two years or so....I just don't see them trading him. 

I was trying to be cordial to our friendly visitor.  😁 ERod would be on my untouchables list at this point.

[Mike Sixel]

19 minutes ago, ashbury said:

I was trying to be cordial to our friendly visitor.  😁 ERod would be on my untouchables list at this point.

Agreed. 

[ChangeUp17]

Ha!  Thanks for being cordial. 🙂

I actually think Alfredo Duno might be the kind of prospect that could interest the Twins at catcher.  He actually ranks a bit higher than Rodriguez on the MLB Top 100, but he is still a few years away so the timing may not be right.  Plus, the Reds also need a catcher of the future as Stephenson is getting older and will be more expensive in the future.

Good luck to you guys next season!

Edited November 30, 2025 by ChangeUp17

[ashbury]

54 minutes ago, ChangeUp17 said:

Ha!  Thanks for being cordial. 🙂

I actually think Alfredo Duno might be the kind of prospect that could interest the Twins at catcher.  He actually ranks a bit higher than Rodriguez on the MLB Top 100, but he is still a few years away so the timing may not be right.  Plus, the Reds also need a catcher of the future as Stephenson is getting older and will be more expensive in the future.

Good luck to you guys next season!

The Twins just got done trading their ace closer at the deadline, in part for a 19-year old catcher of the future.  You can never have too many good prospects, but another super-young catcher wouldn't likely pry ERod away. 

When I suggested a catcher, I meant major-league ready and under years of team control.  We might be trading our starting catcher soon, or else lose him to free agency in a year.

[bean5302]

.150/.250/.300 with a 10% BB rate and 50% K rate. That'll be Emma in the big show, in between his frequent IL trips. He's already burned 2 options and hasn't made an appearance. He's been utterly overwhelmed in his last two spring trainings. I wouldn't put Emma in the top 10 for Twins prospects.

Even AAA pitchers throw nothing but junk at him because he'll swing at it. His walk rate is propped up by pitchers not even trying to hit the zone. That's been my view of him anyway. Make a mistake, and Rodriguez can hurt you, but if you don't make a big mistake, he's an easy out.

[Linus]

3 hours ago, bean5302 said:

.150/.250/.300 with a 10% BB rate and 50% K rate. That'll be Emma in the big show, in between his frequent IL trips. He's already burned 2 options and hasn't made an appearance. He's been utterly overwhelmed in his last two spring trainings. I wouldn't put Emma in the top 10 for Twins prospects.

Even AAA pitchers throw nothing but junk at him because he'll swing at it. His walk rate is propped up by pitchers not even trying to hit the zone. That's been my view of him anyway. Make a mistake, and Rodriguez can hurt you, but if you don't make a big mistake, he's an easy out.

Sadly I think some version of this is likely true. 

[tony&rodney]

5 hours ago, bean5302 said:

.150/.250/.300 with a 10% BB rate and 50% K rate. That'll be Emma in the big show, in between his frequent IL trips. He's already burned 2 options and hasn't made an appearance. He's been utterly overwhelmed in his last two spring trainings. I wouldn't put Emma in the top 10 for Twins prospects.

Even AAA pitchers throw nothing but junk at him because he'll swing at it. His walk rate is propped up by pitchers not even trying to hit the zone. That's been my view of him anyway. Make a mistake, and Rodriguez can hurt you, but if you don't make a big mistake, he's an easy out.

My reply is that if there is even a 50% chance that your prediction is possible, why wasn't he traded already?  Emmanuel Rodriguez has fallen in prospect rankings due to injury, more than anything else, if one takes the evaluation reports at face value, 

The evaluation of Rodriguez seems extremely important to the Twins organization because holding a prospect that loses all of their value points to a fault within the system. While I'm not a fan of BBTV, they do highlight, via numbers, the relative worth of prospects that many people seem to follow to an extent. The Twins sat on the high values of Royce Lewis and Edouard Julien and time moved on. Sitting on EmRod another year is pointless. A complete miss on Emmanuel should have consequences.

[DJL44]

5 hours ago, bean5302 said:

.150/.250/.300 with a 10% BB rate and 50% K rate. That'll be Emma in the big show, in between his frequent IL trips. He's already burned 2 options and hasn't made an appearance. He's been utterly overwhelmed in his last two spring trainings. I wouldn't put Emma in the top 10 for Twins prospects.

Even AAA pitchers throw nothing but junk at him because he'll swing at it. His walk rate is propped up by pitchers not even trying to hit the zone. That's been my view of him anyway. Make a mistake, and Rodriguez can hurt you, but if you don't make a big mistake, he's an easy out.

That's basically Outman. I agree, they need to trade him if he's Outman.

[bean5302]

1 hour ago, tony&rodney said:

My reply is that if there is even a 50% chance that your prediction is possible, why wasn't he traded already?...

1. We don't know if the Twins have tried to move him and every other team has the same opinion of him I have.
2. It's not like I'm infallable or something, and there's an absolute derth of CF prospects who can hit in this league so it's entirely plausible the Twins see or think they see something I don't.
3. He's only 23 next year. Many years of experience, but still plenty room to improve.

Rodriguez put up a wRC+ of 135 last year in AAA as a 22yr old, but it came with a .400 BABIP and a walk rate north of 20%. Neither of those are likely at the MLB level. Just have to see how the Twins value him, I guess.

[bunsen82]

5 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

1. We don't know if the Twins have tried to move him and every other team has the same opinion of him I have.
2. It's not like I'm infallable or something, and there's an absolute derth of CF prospects who can hit in this league so it's entirely plausible the Twins see or think they see something I don't.
3. He's only 23 next year. Many years of experience, but still plenty room to improve.

Rodriguez put up a wRC+ of 135 last year in AAA as a 22yr old, but it came with a .400 BABIP and a walk rate north of 20%. Neither of those are likely at the MLB level. Just have to see how the Twins value him, I guess.

He has an advantage of he has grown up with the ABS.  It sounds like he has an elite eye so - if he can get those extra balls - he could maintain his BB average which has always been a concern.   He will always have a high BABIP as he hits the ball hard.  He swings hard on every pitch which is why he misses on a lot of swings and strikes out a lot.   

If he can increase his contact rate and decrease his strikeout rate,  you have something pretty special.  

[tony&rodney]

44 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

1. We don't know if the Twins have tried to move him and every other team has the same opinion of him I have.
2. It's not like I'm infallable or something, and there's an absolute derth of CF prospects who can hit in this league so it's entirely plausible the Twins see or think they see something I don't.
3. He's only 23 next year. Many years of experience, but still plenty room to improve.

Rodriguez put up a wRC+ of 135 last year in AAA as a 22yr old, but it came with a .400 BABIP and a walk rate north of 20%. Neither of those are likely at the MLB level. Just have to see how the Twins value him, I guess.

The numbers that Emmanuel puts up and how he puts them up have always been rather absurd. EmRod does play a solid defensive game and has a big arm and his throws are accurate. Additionally, he has been  good on the bases. Rodriguez has also been good at every level. The injuries have been frequent, varied and held him back.

I have been pro Emmanuel for 3 years now but I get the skepticism. The injuries have been super frustrating and are a concern.  I want him in the lineup on Day 1, every day.

My comment previously is related to the Twins making or failing to make timely decisions on young players. I respect the difficulty of the process but ER is a guy to move if the belief is not 100%. No more AAA time.

You are correct in that other teams may not be willing to acquire him for a high price but there are opportunities out there.

For the BBTV crowd (I don't belong) Rodriguez held a value of 47 one year ago and sits at 24 today. That is still a pretty decent mark and there are teams looking for batters. Pittsburgh and Kansas City come to mind as does Miami. 

[tony&rodney]

On 11/26/2025 at 10:28 PM, ChangeUp17 said:

Yeah, I was kinda thinking that.  The only offense I can see the Reds giving up is a few years away in the minors (someone like catcher Alfredo Duno).  Perhaps it would take a 3-way trade to make this happen - Reds find a team in need of pitching that could trade surplus hitting in exchange for EM.  Still, why would the Twins trade an offensive talent like EM for hitting?  

Regardless of what the Reds have, what would the Twins be looking for in a trade involving EM?  Multiple strong prospects to support a rebuild?

The Twins would probably trade Emmanuel Rodriguez for either of Nick Lodolo or Alfredo Duno. Why would the Reds trade Lodolo though? Duno is ranked higher than EmRod and catchers are hard to find. Why would they trade Duno. FWIW, Duno is also seen as a very good defensive catcher as well as having a big bat, whereas Eduardo Tait has a big bat but his future is still uncertain as a catcher. 

Yes, the Twins should take either deal.

[bean5302]

4 hours ago, bunsen82 said:

He has an advantage of he has grown up with the ABS.  It sounds like he has an elite eye so - if he can get those extra balls - he could maintain his BB average which has always been a concern.   He will always have a high BABIP as he hits the ball hard.  He swings hard on every pitch which is why he misses on a lot of swings and strikes out a lot.   

If he can increase his contact rate and decrease his strikeout rate,  you have something pretty special.  

Elite eye is a bit optimistic.

Last 5 BBs and last 5 Ks
9-21 - K5 First pitch whiff in the zone. Second, strike looking. Took outside ball. Whiff strike 3 in the zone. 
9-21 - K4 Took 2 strikes looking, then a ball, struck out swinging on a pitch in the zone. Whiffed on a high ball nearly outside, took a pitch inside for ball 4.
9-18 - K3 Wild pitch ball one. Whiffed close to middle/middle on a change, strike 1. Watched strike 2 upper edge. Pitches 4-5 way inside. Pitch 6 whiffed on a changeup solidly in the zone, strike 3.
9-13 - K2 Way high, ball 1. High whiff strike 1. Watched outside corner, strike 2. Whiffed in the zone, strike 3.
9-10 - K1 Meatball looking, strike 1. Way low away, ball 1. Way outside/high ball 2. Foul on an outside pitch, strike 2. Whiff on a pitch in the zone, strike 3. 

Last 5 BBs
9-20 - BB5. Two pitches WAY up high, swung at borderline inside, took a walk on the 4th very bad pitch.
9-18 - BB4. Ball 1 edge of outside. Ball 2-3 way out of the zone. 
9-17 - BB3. Swinging strike 1 inside edge. Took a good pitch, ball 1. Next 3 pitches, not close for a walk.
9-17 - BB2. Called strike 1, good take. Gifted a ball on a pitch in the zone. Ball 2 in the dirt. Ball 3 just low. Ball 4 in the dirt.
9-14 - BB1. Ball 1, way out of the zone. Strike looking low, okay. Strike swinging top/outside corner of zone. Ball challenge (won). Fouled off a bottom edge pitch just in the zone. Ball 3 was low. Ball 4 very low.

[tony&rodney]

On 12/1/2025 at 7:48 PM, bean5302 said:

Elite eye is a bit optimistic.

Last 5 BBs and last 5 Ks
9-21 - K5 First pitch whiff in the zone. Second, strike looking. Took outside ball. Whiff strike 3 in the zone. 
9-21 - K4 Took 2 strikes looking, then a ball, struck out swinging on a pitch in the zone. Whiffed on a high ball nearly outside, took a pitch inside for ball 4.
9-18 - K3 Wild pitch ball one. Whiffed close to middle/middle on a change, strike 1. Watched strike 2 upper edge. Pitches 4-5 way inside. Pitch 6 whiffed on a changeup solidly in the zone, strike 3.
9-13 - K2 Way high, ball 1. High whiff strike 1. Watched outside corner, strike 2. Whiffed in the zone, strike 3.
9-10 - K1 Meatball looking, strike 1. Way low away, ball 1. Way outside/high ball 2. Foul on an outside pitch, strike 2. Whiff on a pitch in the zone, strike 3. 

Last 5 BBs
9-20 - BB5. Two pitches WAY up high, swung at borderline inside, took a walk on the 4th very bad pitch.
9-18 - BB4. Ball 1 edge of outside. Ball 2-3 way out of the zone. 
9-17 - BB3. Swinging strike 1 inside edge. Took a good pitch, ball 1. Next 3 pitches, not close for a walk.
9-17 - BB2. Called strike 1, good take. Gifted a ball on a pitch in the zone. Ball 2 in the dirt. Ball 3 just low. Ball 4 in the dirt.
9-14 - BB1. Ball 1, way out of the zone. Strike looking low, okay. Strike swinging top/outside corner of zone. Ball challenge (won). Fouled off a bottom edge pitch just in the zone. Ball 3 was low. Ball 4 very low.

Plenty of people on Twins Daily are less than optimistic about Emmanuel Rodriguez. Why pick out these charts. You could do the same exact thing with Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, or The Big Dumper. I have watched dozens of Rodriguez's plate appearances. Some are awful and others are magical. ER has displayed an unusual ability to get on base at every level. His story as an MLB player hasn't even started.

If you think Emmanuel is not a strong prospect, suggest a few trade opportunities. The Twins might benefit from trading a highly rated prospect to fill a need. Kansas City needs outfielders and so does Pittsburgh. Is there something that benefits both teams?