Regardless of his inability to draw walks, he is still a good defensive catcher with a strong arm. And he can still hit .270 or above most likely. And he's a team leader who has been through the battles, i.e., actually won a World Series. He brings a lot of intangibles. Ivan Rodriguez Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com
Rodriquez also handles pitching staffs very well, and call a great game behind the plate. He's especially good with young pitchers.
The Tigers just signed Nate Robertson to a 3 year, $21 million contract. That effectively solidifies a rotation of Verlander, Bonderman, Willis, Rogers and Robertson. Tigers sign Robertson for three years
Wow, $7 million per for throwing way too many pitches, getting in too many jams and having a career record of 42-55 and an ERA of 4.60. Where did I sign up?
Well, you have to remember that Robertson is a lefty, and lefties are historically over-paid. The other consideration is that Robertson had a much better year two years ago. Who knows? I think this officially makes Chad Durbin trade bait.
Nate Robertson will have aroung 17-18 wins this season. This will be several more wins than Jeremy Bonderman.