On the Block
Pudge headed to Houston
His long, frustrating offseason-one in which he had been unable to latch onto a team-is finally over.
Last Friday, the Houston Astros officially welcomed 37-year-old backstop Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez to a one-year, $1.5 million deal with another $1.5 million in performance bonuses.
Pudge, who played for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, is returning to the National League for the first time since 2003, where he was a member of the Florida Marlins’ World Series-winning team.
An 18-year veteran, Pudge has won 13 Gold Gloves-a record for a catcher- and seven Silver Slugger awards while batting .301 with 296 homes and 1,217 RBIs in 2,267 career games.
But the 14-time All Star is coming off a sub-par season in which he batted a combined .276 with only seven home runs and 35 RBIs in a combined 115 games for the Tigers and Yanks.
Known for his tremendous clubhouse leadership, Pudge’s defensive skills and ability to manage a pitching staff makes him a valuable commodity to an Astros’ squad seeking immediate assistance at the catching position.
At his advanced age Pudge is a temporary solution, bridging the gap until Jason Castro, the team’s 2008 first-round selection out of Stanford University, officially seizes the catching duties.
The Astros hope that Pudge can help the team contend for the divisional title in a weak NL Central.
Ashley is a senior journalism student at the University of Florida, pursuing a career in sports journalism. She believes that life without baseball is no life at all.