Pitcher Fernando...Rodriguez

Fernando (Freddy) Rodriguez pitched for a LONG time in the minors, from 1945 to 1962, and made a couple major league appearances with the Cubs and Phillies in 1958 and 1959.

His Baseball Reference page lists this transaction link:

• December 10, 1957: Traded by the San Francisco Giants to the Chicago Cubs for Tom Poholsky.
• Before 1959 Season: Sent from the Chicago Cubs to the Philadelphia Phillies in an unknown transaction.
• June 5, 1959: Purchased by the Los Angeles Dodgers from the Philadelphia Phillies. (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)   

I was able to find how Freddy got from the Cubs to the Phillies...from the Roseburg, OR News Review of June 17, 1958...

"PORTLAND (AP) The Portland Beavers, currently resting in seventh place in the Pacific Coast League, Monday received outfielder Dave Melton from the Kansas City Athletics in return for pitcher Fernando Rodriguez. Melton was sent to Portland on option and Rodriguez was optioned to Kansas City's Intenational League farm club, Buffalo."

Melton evidently stayed under A's control, but Freddy was under BUFFALO control, albeit in the A's system. The next season, Buffalo became a Philadelphia affiliate, and Rodriguez went along with the ride. 

Melton returned to the A's in 1959.

Rodriguez and Melton pics stolen from www.ootpdevelopments.com

 

The A was for Astroth

Joe Astroth was a pretty solid part-time catcher for the A's of Philadelphia and Kansas City in the late forties and into the fifties. His throwing arm was obviously pretty good, in 1953 he threw out 72% of baserunners trying to steal and finished just below 50% for his career,

By the 1956 season, Astroth was pretty much done as a major league player. His Baseball Reference major league page shows a few games in Kansas City, but no transactions to explain his appearances in San Diego later that season, or in Buffalo (back in the A's system) in 1957-8.

We find one of the answers in the San Rafael, CA Daily Independent Journal of May 17, 1956...

"Kansas City Athletics—In addition to the Santiago and Valo moves, optioned pitchers Arnie Portocarrero to Birmingham of the Southern Assn., Art Ceccarelli to Columbus of the International League and Bill Harrington to San Diego of the Pacific Const league, and sold catcher Joe Astroth to San Diego."

So the move was not an option, it was a straight out sale to San Diego, an independent team at the time.

The next season, former-Illini Astroth ends up in Buffalo. From the Reading Eagle of Oct. 13, 1956... 

 

“San Diego of the Pacific Coast League sold three players today….Padre General Manager Ralph Kiner said he sold catcher Joe Astroth to Buffalo of the International League…”

A straight-up sale from a then-independent team back to the A's organization, AAA Buffalo. The article mentions that Cleveland was about to take over the Padres for their AAA team. Good to be able to wrap up the transactions for the former Illini athlete. 

Great Joe Astroth card pic from

www.tradingcarddb.com