The Toronto Blue Jays have been rather quiet so far this off-season. Following the failed pursuit of Shohei Ohtani, the club’s only moves of note have been the signings of centre fielder Kevin Kiermaier, utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa and infielder Justin Turner.
To this point, the Blue Jays have spread their resources across the roster with the hope of creating incremental improvements. That approach continued Friday with the club’s official signing of Cuban right-hander Yariel Rodriguez to a five-year, $32 million contract.
“Yariel brings a diverse arsenal, impressive athleticism, and ability to get swing and miss to our team,” Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said in a press release. “He adds starting depth to our pitching group and has a chance to impact our Major League team in multiple roles. We’re excited to welcome Yariel to the Blue Jays and look forward to seeing him on the mound in spring.”
Here’s a closer look at the right-hander.
Name: Yariel Rodriguez
Age: 26 (Turns 27 on March 10)
Height: Six-foot-one
Weight: 164 pounds
Career stats (international): 3.07 ERA, 184 games, 73 starts, 334 walks, 604 strikeouts, 695.2 innings.
From starter to reliever back to starter?
Rodriguez, a native of Camaguey, Cuba, opened his professional career with his hometown club Ganaderos de Camaguey. He spent six years pitching in Cuba and was predominantly a starting pitcher, producing a standout season in 2018 that saw him set career highs in starts (22) and innings (133.1).
After signing in Japan in 2020, Rodriguez pitched exclusively out of the bullpen. He was a dominant force for the Chunichi Dragons of the Japan Central League in 2022, posting a 1.15 ERA over 54.2 innings, walking 18 and striking out 60.
He started two games for Cuba at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, allowing two runs on five hits over 7.1 total innings, walking six and striking out 10.
Rodriguez didn’t return to Japan for the ’23 campaign, opting to sit out and reportedly train for a potential move to MLB. He pitched during a showcase in front of interested teams this past October in the Dominican Republic.
Rodriguez had been viewed by several major-league organizations as a starting rotation option. Atkins noted as much in Friday’s press release, highlighting that the right-hander adds starting depth to the Blue Jays. If that’s the case, Rodriguez would likely require some time to be stretched out and build up his innings. Should he continue to be used out of the bullpen, though, it could help his repertoire play up.
What does he throw?
Rodriguez’s move to the bullpen brought excellent results. He experienced an increase in velo during the 2022 campaign, sitting 94-96 m.p.h. with his fastball and occasionally touching 100 m.p.h. During the WBC he averaged 95 m.p.h. and topped out at 98 m.p.h.
He pairs that fastball with a plus slider that’s worked nicely as his out pitch. Rodriguez has been able to produce strong spin rates on the offering and generated plenty of swings and misses with it during the WBC. His fastball-slider combo has drawn comparisons to the arsenal belonging to Tampa Bay Rays reliever Pete Fairbanks, according to FanGraphs.
Check out its devastating movement here:
A first for the Blue Jays
When Rodriguez eventually takes the mound for the Blue Jays, he’ll become the first Cuban-born pitcher to do so for the organization, according to reporter Francys Romero. It’s a neat little factoid for an organization that has featured several Cuban-born position players during its history, including most recently Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Kendrys Morales.
Right-hander Yosver Zulueta, who’s ranked as the organization’s No. 10 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, pitched at triple-A Buffalo last season but has yet to reach the majors.
