Overview
- The Orioles completed a Sunday trade for outfielder Johnathan Rodriguez, sending minor-league right-hander Carter Rustad to the Guardians.
- Cleveland had designated Rodriguez for assignment earlier in the week as it finalized its 40-man and Opening Day rosters.
- Rodriguez, 26, has a minor-league option and a strong Triple-A track record at .301/.390/.535 with 56 home runs, but he has hit .176/.282/.304 over 117 MLB plate appearances.
- Baltimore’s crowded outfield mix and injuries that keep Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg on the IL point to Rodriguez starting as optionable depth, likely at Triple-A.
- Rustad, a 2024 15th-round pick out of Missouri, logged a 3.23 ERA with a 24.6% strikeout rate across three levels in 2025 and works at 94–96 mph with a sinker, slider, and changeup, with reports expecting a Double-A assignment that has not been announced.