ST. LOUIS — Sean Rodriguez stood in front of a locker stall in the visitors clubhouse that soon would be emptied and repeated to reporters what he had told his bosses before his second tenure with the Pirates officially came to an end Wednesday.
"I know I'm not done," Rodriguez said before first pitch at Busch Stadium. The 33-year-old utility man had been designated for assignment to make room for shortstop Jordy Mercer to be activated from the 10-day disabled list and for another prospect to join the team in September. It was an unceremonious ending to a comeback that had a storybook beginning.
Rodriguez hit a walkoff homer in his first game after being re-acquired by the Pirates last August, only to bat just .167 with 60 strikeouts in 150 at-bats this season. He twice was placed on the 10-day disabled list and given one lengthy minor-league rehab assignment to help him find a solution, but consistency remained elusive and playing time was scarce with the additions of Adam Frazier and Kevin Newman, both of whom figure to be on the roster in 2019.
"There’s so much to be happy and so much to be grateful for," said Rodriguez, who was set to be a free agent this winter. "Neal, Clint and this organization have done a lot for me in my time here. I’m just grateful. Very grateful. It’s hard to put into words exactly what putting on a Pirates jersey has meant."
It wasn't the ending he expected.
Rodriguez joined the Pirates prior to 2015 and had a breakout season in 2016, when he batted .270 with an .859 OPS, 18 home runs and 56 RBIs in 140 games, 74 of which were starts. That earned him a two-year, $11.5 million contract from the Braves in December 2016, where he was expected to be an everyday player.
Two months later, Rodriguez underwent shoulder surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff, which he suffered when the SUV carrying him and his family was struck by a stolen police car in Miami. Rodriguez was expected to miss nine to 12 months, but he returned to Atlanta's lineup in July and played in 15 games before he was re-acquired by the Pirates less than a month later.
Rodriguez has batted .167 with 117 strikeouts in 120 games since returning from shoulder surgery. He homered four times while striking out 20 times in 43 at-bats this past spring training. That trend continued in the regular season, as Rodriguez hit five home runs — only three fewer than Josh Bell and Colin Moran — while striking out in 40 percent of his at-bats.
Rodriguez attributed some of those struggles to his role. However, he mostly struggled when receiving stretches of starts this season. He started three games in a row from June 22-24, only to go 0 for 9 with six strikeouts.
"I know it’s been tough, obviously, the last two years for them and for me," Rodriguez said. "I guess I ask to look at the production. Don’t actually look at what’s scary on the offensive side, which is the average, but actually look at the production and you can compare it to anybody with the same amount of opportunity, so to speak. A lot of people don’t truly know what comes hand-in-hand with being a bench player. A lot of guys assume the role because basically it’s the only one that’s available. I think a lot of outsiders don’t realize a lot of my at-bats, not just over the course of the season but over the course of my career, usually come last in the game, especially me being a guy that’s been a defensive guy."
Rodriguez was placed on the disabled list with a right quadriceps strain June 27 and returned after the All-Star break, expressing confidence to reporters in Cincinnati that he had rediscovered his swing. He proceeded to go 6 for 12 with two home runs and five RBIs in three games at Great American Ballpark, only to struggle upon returning to the bench.
Rodriguez had one hit in his next 18 at-bats, including 10 strikeouts, before he was again placed on the disabled list, this time with a left abdominal strain. He has gone 1 for 3 since returning, yet the Pirates didn't see an avenue for future playing time. They plan to give Adeiny Hechavarria an audition at shortstop, while Newman, Frazier and Josh Harrison also are expected to play.
The Pirates also want to recall infielder Kevin Kramer from Triple-A Indianapolis when rosters expand Sept. 1, which required them to make room on the 40-man roster. Rodriguez told reporters he understood the reasons both Clint Hurdle and Neal Huntington provided, but he also wanted them to understand why he thought his production could be overlooked.
Rodriguez cited the many high-leverage relievers he faced as a bench player — he had one hit in nine pinch-hit at-bats this season — and said starters often take days off against an opponent's most talented starting pitchers. On the other hand, he wanted to take responsibility for failing to meet his own expectations.
"I’m not who I want to be, obviously, on the field," Rodriguez said. "I’m not who I can be, and I’m not who I need to be. The team needs more of me when it comes to the person on the field. Any team. I wasn’t fulfilling that quota here. Neal and them obviously did what other teams might not have done — maybe they would have; I can’t say for sure. But obviously they tried to stick it out as long as they could, even if it was minimal opportunity."
Rodriguez was hopeful another team will take a chance on him before the end of the season. He wasn't solemn, either. Instead, he wants to prove he can be the player he was back in 2016.
"100 percent," Rodriguez said when asked if he thinks he can still play. "Why? Do you think I'm done?"