The Brewers have signed right-hander Elvin Rodriguez to a one-year deal with a club option for the 2026 season, reports Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Rodriguez, represented by A&F Sports Agency and JP Sports Advisors, spent the 2024 season in Japan and is returning stateside on a big league deal after an impressive showing overseas. Fellow right-hander JB Bukauskas has been designated for assignment to open space on the 40-man roster.
Rodriguez, 27 in March, pitched in the majors with the 2022 Tigers and the 2023 Rays. He’s logged a total of 33 MLB frames and been hit hard, surrendering a gruesome 9.55 earned run average. The bulk of that work came as a starting pitcher, but Rodriguez worked out of the bullpen in 2024 and delivered generally impressive results.
In 45 innings for Japan’s Yakult Swallows, Rodriguez logged a tiny 1.80 ERA with a 24% strikeout rate and 6.5% walk rate. He spent nearly as much time with Yakult’s minor league club early in the ’24 season as he did with their big league club later in the year, pitching to a similar 1.67 ERA with their farm team.
Milwaukee’s rotation is largely set at the moment, with Freddy Peralta, Nestor Cortes, Aaron Civale, Tobias Myers and a returning Brandon Woodruff expected to comprise that quintet. Southpaws DL Hall and Aaron Ashby are on hand as potential options as well.
Rodriguez could still factor in as a depth option. Given his experience in both a starting role and in the bullpen, it’d be sensible if Milwaukee brought him to camp and stretched him out. He could pitch in the Triple-A Nashville rotation — Rodriguez has two minor league option years remaining — and still be a big league bullpen option at any point. It’s easier to take a starter and move him to the ’pen than it is to stretch a reliever out as a starter in-season, however, so there’s good sense in at least letting Rodriguez build up in preparation for a rotation role even if he’s ultimately viewed as a relief option first and foremost.
As for Bukauskas, he’s been with the Brewers since being plucked off waivers early in the 2023 season. The former first-rounder and top prospect has pitched a dozen big league innings and turned in a pristine 0.75 ERA in that small sample, also brandishing an impressive 12-to-2 K/BB ratio. However, a lat strain limited him to just 12 total innings between Triple-A and the majors in 2024. Bukauskas hit the injured list in mid-April, headed out on a rehab assignment in mid-June and almost immediately had a setback. He got back on the mound in late July, made four rehab appearances in the minors, and was shut back down for the rest of the season.
The Brewers will have the next five days to trade Bukauskas. If he’s not moved in that time, he’ll head to waivers, which take another 48 hours to process. Within the next week, the outcome of his DFA will be known.