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YOUNGSTOWN – For fans, making a trade is as simple as clicking a mouse – in fantasy sports.
Players don’t have to pack their bags and move their family across the country in the online world, but in real life it can be a struggle.
“It’s a change; it’s been tough,” said newly-acquired Pirate Sean Rodriguez. “You’re set in a routine with a team for while, even in the offseason, then it all shifts. Sports are never guaranteed and baseball, in particular, is all about adjustments.
“Me and my family have been doing it on the fly this past week.”
On Dec. 1, Rodriguez was traded to Pittsburgh from the Tampa Bay Rays for a player-to-be-named-later. That deal could be completed as early as today, but for the past week and a half, Rodriguez’s life has been scattered.
The Miami, Fla. native still makes his home in Florida. So, shifting from the deep south to the north has been an adjustment in itself.
“It’s much, much colder,” Rodriguez said with a laugh.
Though he’s only been in the region for a few days to take part in the annual Pirates caravan event, Rodriguez is excited for this new adjustment.
It may be chilly, but Rodriguez realizes he has joined one of the hottest teams in major league baseball.
“When (the trade) happened, I was kind of shocked,” Rodriguez said. “But I think I was more excited than anything else. Everything I’ve seen with the Pirates, especially with what they’ve been doing recently, is definitely something I want to be a part of.
“They’re a passionate, fiery team that pulls for one another. They are ultimately trying to reach the main goal of winning it all and it’s one reason why I was so excited to join the Pirates. That’s what I want – I want to win.”
Rodriguez was a third round selection by the Los Angeles Angels in the 2003 first-year player draft. In two seasons, he played just 71 games with the Angels, batting .202 with five home runs. On Sept. 1, 2009, he was traded to Tampa Bay in a deal that sent pitcher Scott Kazmir to Los Angeles.
In five seasons with the Rays, Rodriguez batted .228 with a total of 112 home runs. Last season, he hit .211 with a career-best 12 home runs, playing every position except pitcher and catcher.
It’s that versatility, not unlike the skills that won Josh Harrison a starting position, which could be Rodriguez’s best attribute.
“(Pirates manager Clint Hurdle) has a system that he likes to go with regarding his everyday guys and giving them rest when need be,” Rodriguez said. “We spoke and he told me to jump in line and push the line whenever the opportunity presents itself.”
Rodriguez plans to return to Florida after this weekend’s PirateFest event at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh before reporting to Bradenton, Fla. for spring training in February.
Port Charlotte has been his usual spring destination with the Rays. He may not even notice that change right away as Bradenton and Port Charlotte are separated by just 54 miles along the Sun Coast. It’s just one more adjustment in the unsure world of being a professional athlete.
“It’s hard to put one word to it,” Rodriguez said. “Everything that went down with me and the Rays was great. They expressed that to me in the best and most respectful way possible. The coaches and front office came to me personally and really handled it well.”
That may not be the case for some greedy fantasy owners.