Yariel Rodriguez is joining the long list of Toronto Blue Jays suiting up for their countries this spring.
The Blue Jays confirmed on Thursday evening that Rodriguez will pitch for Cuba at the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
Rodriguez, 28, was one of Toronto’s most relied upon relievers in 2025, posting a 3.08 ERA over 73 regular-season innings.
Despite the strong full-season totals, the six-foot right-hander carried some second-half struggles into the post-season and threw just 2.2 innings for the Blue Jays in October.
Rodriguez will enter spring training without a spot on Toronto’s 40-man roster after the Blue Jays outrighted him in early December.
2026 will mark the second time that Rodriguez has represented Cuba at the World Baseball Classic. He pitched for his country at the 2023 tournament, making a pair of starts and allowing two earned runs in 7.1 innings while striking out 10. His performance helped Cuba advance from pool play to the quarterfinals before being knocked out by the United States in the semifinals.
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The World Baseball Classic is back for its sixth edition, running from March 5-17 in Miami, Houston, San Juan and Tokyo. Catch all the action on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
His performance in that tournament helped Rodriguez land a five-year, $32-million contract with the Blue Jays before the 2024 season.
Rodriguez joins Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Dominican Republic), Alejandro Kirk (Mexico), José Berríos (Puerto Rico), Cody Ponce (Mexico), Adam Macko (Canada), Leo Jimenez (Panama), Kazuma Okamoto (Japan) and Ernie Clement (United States) as Blue Jays who have either committed to play or have stated their interest in playing for their countries.
Cuba will compete in Pool A for round-robin play in San Juan. It will take on Canada, Colombia, Panama and host Puerto Rico, with the two top teams advancing to the quarterfinals in Houston.
Pool A action begins on March 6.
