Assessing the players: Sean Rodriguez

Time to assess Sean Rodriguez. Rodriguez had a solid season for the Rays and was used in various spots, from 2nd, short stop, and even outfield. The Rays acquired Sean from the Angels from the Scott Kazmir deal and have benefited from his versatile glove and strong bat. Let’s look at the numbers behind Sean’s season.

Rodriguez finished the season with a batting average of .251, 9 homeruns, and 40 RBIs. He had 53 runs, 13 stolen bases, 21 walks, and 97 strikeouts. He had an OBP of .308 and a SLG percentage of .397.

Rodriguez has a very powerful swing, but he needs to increase his bat speed and his plate discipline. He had 97 strikeouts which shows lack of patience at the plate and a bad plate mentality (looking to smash the ball, thanks again Shelton). Rodriguez has a very quick swing and power so he could put the ball in play in all areas of the field if he is able to time his swing better and change his plate approach.

Rodriguez played multiple positions for the Rays, but second base seems to be his natural position. He has a very strong arm and a solid release speed. He and Brignac could make a very solid double-play tandem, but Ben Zobrist could get a majority of the playing time at second. Expect him to get spot starts during the season and moved around a few times (just not as much as Zobrist is).

Overall, Rodriguez had a solid season for the Rays. With another Spring coming up, he looks to improve on his first full season at the major level. He needs some work at the plate and won’t play every day because of Ben Zobrist, but he will get a chance to produce and come up big for the Rays. Final grade: B-