As mentioned earlier, Ricardo Rodriguez was sent to Philly today as the PTBNL in the Vicente Padilla trade...
I don't really have a problem with that...RicRod is out of options and was caught in a numbers squeeze here. He might get it together and turn into a decent back of the rotation starter, or maybe a middle reliever, and I still wish he'd gotten more of a shot in the majors last year.
But he hasn't been able to stay healthy, hasn't been all that great when he was healthy, and turns 28 in May. Plus, he seemed to have gotten himself on the organizational bad list, so getting a fresh start elsewhere is probably best for him.
Meanwhile, the Braves traded A-ball pitcher Ricardo Rodriguez to the Royals for Matt Diaz. I've talked about Diaz before, and felt he'd be a nice platoon partner for David Dellucci if the Rangers aren't going to have Jason Botts DH in 2006. He's a nice fit for a team like the Braves.