Orioles fans might not want to look at Grayson Rodriguez's turnaround with Angels

It's not exactly controversial to say that Grayson Rodriguez struggled mightily through his first 10 starts for the Los Angeles Angels this season. In fact, he struggled so much that it appeared that the Baltimore Orioles were geniuses for moving on from him last year.

His 7.98 ERA and 5.81 FIP through those first 10 starts were proof of that. But an Aug. 4 matchup against his former team seems to have awakened something inside Rodriguez that might just have Orioles' fans looking away in disgust. 

As noted by Jacob Calvin Meyer, Orioles beat reporter for the Baltimore Sun, Rodriguez has locked in over the past month. Since allowing just three hits and two runs in seven innings in that matchup against the Orioles, he has lowered his season ERA by nearly two whole runs. Rodriguez has also added 29 strikeouts across 27 1/3 innings pitched in the month of August. His season FIP has dropped to 4.63. Like seeing an ex thrive post-breakup, Rodriguez could be showing the Orioles what they missed out on. 

Although the Angels have gone 1-4 in Rodriguez’s five August starts, they may have won the long game. Under team control until 2030, Rodriguez is the definition of a low-risk, high-reward type player. The Angels traded away Taylor Ward, who wasn't in their long-term plans, to acquire Rodriguez, who at just 26 years old could become a staple in the team's rotation for years to come.

In the end, the Orioles had no choice but to move on from Grayson Rodriguez 

From a number of injuries to his inconsistency when healthy, Rodriguez is one of those “what if” players that was hard to trust. After spending the first seven years of his career in the Orioles' organization, Rodriguez was shipped to the Los Angeles Angels last November in exchange for Ward. And through the first four months of the season, that trade couldn't have worked out any better for Baltimore. 

For a team that was desperate for outfield help, Baltimore was willing to bail on Rodriguez for a player that they imagined would be a 25+ home run guy. While Ward never came close to that kind of power for the O's this season, he was certainly a bright spot in the lineup. But now that Ward is gone (traded to the Mariners at the deadline), it is easy to look back and second guess the move, especially for a club that could use an elite arm in the rotation to compete with the powerhouses in the AL East. However, it was just time to part ways with Rodriguez.  

After missing all of the 2025 season from a slew of injuries and surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow, Baltimore fans were worried that Rodriguez's best years were already behind him. Despite his off-the-charts potential, his inability to stay healthy over the last several seasons has stunted what was once thought to be an electric start to his career. Even after his trade to the Angels, Rodriguez began the season on the Injured List thanks to shoulder inflammation. Unfortunately for Rodriguez, he once again found himself back on the dreaded IL after just six starts due to lower back stiffness in June.

Those run-ins with the IL have been the biggest thorn in Rodriguez’s side during his time as a pro athlete. As the 11th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Rodriguez had a massive amount of hype to live up to. Right out of the gate, it appeared that the O's may have actually struck gold. In his first taste of pro ball in the Gulf Coast League in 2018, Rodriguez threw 19 1/3 impressive innings while only surrendering three earned runs.

Rodriguez continued his development through the minor league system until getting called up by the Orioles in April 2023. Once again, he showed flashes of brilliance during his rookie campaign. However, he was never able to reach the same level of dominance he was accustomed to in the minors. His 2024 season saw an encouraging progression that hinted at a potential star in the making. But an injury in August sidelined him for the remainder of the year and he ultimately never threw another pitch for the Orioles. 

Obviously it would have been great if Rodriguez was able to figure things out in Baltimore and lock down his role as the ace of the staff, especially during a tight Wild Card race. But the club made a tough business decision and parted ways with their former first-rounder. A decision that could come back to bite them. Rodriguez certainly has all of the tools to realize his full potential. But only time will tell if he can put it all together and stay healthy.

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