DETROIT -- The player to be named in last month's Justin Upton trade has been named. The Tigers announced Friday they've acquired Class A right-hander Elvin Rodriguez from the Angels to complete the deal.
The 19-year-old Rodriguez was the Angels' No. 22 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com. He won Pitcher of the Year honors in the Rookie-level Pioneer League by going 5-1 with a 2.50 ERA in 11 starts for Orem. He finished the year at Class A Burlington, ending with a 5-3 record and 2.91 ERA to go with 61 strikeouts over 68 innings.
Rodriguez was an international amateur signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2014. He's the latest teenage prospect acquired by the Tigers in their rebuilding effort, joining shortstop Jose King in the J.D. Martinez trade with Arizona and Isaac Paredes from the Cubs in the July 31 trade for Justin Wilson and Alex Avila. Paredes became a late-season standout at Class A West Michigan, where Rodriguez could pitch at some point next season.
The Tigers still have players to be named in their dealings. They're supposed to receive a player or cash from the Cubs to complete the Wilson/Avila trade. In addition, the Tigers are supposed to send a player or cash to the Astros to complete last month's Justin Verlander trade. That player must be named by Oct. 15.