Expert bargainer J-Rod trades autographs for Halloween-worthy candy haul

MINNEAPOLIS -- Julio Rodríguez’s sweet tooth got the best of him on Wednesday afternoon.

But hey, he and the Mariners had a long flight ahead of them later that night, and maybe he was just trying to stock up on a few sugary snacks.

Rodríguez was seen before Wednesday’s matinee at Target Field trading a few autographs in exchange for a massive bag of gummy Nerds along the left-field foul line. He then stopped for a second, smaller bag while signing a baseball card mid-stride.

This wasn’t his first rodeo.

Rodríguez has actually made bartering a habit through the years as a way to connect with fans but also to succumb to that sweet tooth. Problem is, he’s tried to avoid candy to remain in top shape.

He’s joked that earlier in his career, especially during his Minor League days, he didn’t eat nearly as healthy as he could’ve. Chick-fil-A was the biggest culprit that he had to cut out, especially disappointing because he didn’t discover the fast-food chain until he came Stateside in 2018, after signing as an international free agent. Basically, it was a guilty pleasure that was short-lived.

Rodríguez later hired a personal chef, and more broadly, he’s transformed his body into arguably the most athletic on the Mariners’ roster -- if not the entire sport. He went from a pudgy outfielder in those early Minors days who profiled more as a corner outfielder with limited speed to one of the fastest and most explosive center fielders in the game today.

That metamorphosis, while he was in his age-20 season, remains a big source of pride in the midst of his fifth season. And he still feels that he doesn’t always get the love for it.

“I've gotten more athletic over the years,” Rodríguez said recently, “but I feel like I've always been athletic -- more than what people have ever credited me to.”

But a few sweet treats, like those he procured on Wednesday, probably won’t hurt anybody.

Beyond Rodríguez, the Mariners have become regulars at this type of transacting. J.P. Crawford once bartered a baseball from the dugout in exchange for cotton candy, with Rodríguez serving as his intermediary.

Most of the fans congregated near Rodríguez on Wednesday were in Mariners merch, so he was doing those who made the long journey a solid. This ballpark also holds a special place for Rodríguez, who made his MLB debut here on Opening Day in 2022.

Day games during the week already have an inherently more fun feel to them, because everyone in the house -- other than the players -- is probably supposed to be somewhere else. Adding a little bartering to the mix for a lighthearted cause only keeps the fun going.