After missing out on signings during the offseason, Yariel Rodriguez provides the Blue Jays with a valuable addition to Toronto.
Rodriguez, 26, is signing a four-year contract to move to Toronto.
The Toronto Blue Jays have missed a lot of opportunities this offseason. They went for Juan Soto, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shohei Ohtani hard, but all three ended up somewhere else. After that, Toronto turned to second and third-tier free agents like Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Kevin Kiermaier, who improved the team’s floor but not much, if at all, the ceiling.
Finally making one of their huge swings, the Blue Jays acquired Cuban right-hander Yariel Rodriguez on Wednesday. Although the agreement is not yet official and the financial parameters are unknown, we will shortly receive the contract specifics and the signing will become official. Rodriguez will join a pitching staff that finished second in baseball with a 113 ERA+ if the deal is completed.
| IP | ERA | WHIP | K% | BB% | HR/9 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 Rodriguez | 149 1/3 | 2.29 | 1.17 | 25.9% | 10.8% | 0.60 |
| 2023 NPB average | — | 3.19 | 1.21 | 19.5% | 7.2% | 0.78 |
Although Rodriguez was excellent from 2021 to 22 especially when compared to the pitcher-friendly league norms, Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan is currently experiencing somewhat of a dead ball era. In a league where contact is valued highly, he maintained the ball in the park while missing bats. Yes, he did walk more than you would have liked, but Rodriguez’s walk rate decreased in 2022 from 12.1% in 2021 to 8.3%.
It’s not ideal to miss the full 2023 season; Rodriguez trained and gave scout showcases all year long before signing his free agent; yet, as a pitcher, it’s easier to return from a protracted layoff than as a batter. Rodriguez also had a year off to recuperate and He is just 26 years old.
This is a significant matter. Rodriguez is going to turn 27 in March, making him 26 today. Since he is younger than the majority of MLB free agents, he should have more peak years ahead of him. That was the attraction of Yamamoto. Not only is Yamamoto extremely gifted, but he is only 25 years old. He still has a ton of his finest years ahead of him. Most free agents are exempt from that.
Nonetheless, Rodriguez is covered by it. According to MLB.com’s Francys Romero, the reported contract terms, which are four years and $32 million, lock up Rodriguez for his 27–30 season. In addition to purchasing years of maximum output, Rodriguez’s contract is brief enough to allow him to reenter free agency.
The point is, a thirtysomething free agent who is on the verge of or in his declining years was not signed by the Blue Jays. They signed a guy in the peak of his career who had excelled in the world’s top non-MLB league. Bo Bichette, Kevin Gausman, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and the rest of Toronto’s core coincide during what should be Rodriguez’s greatest years.
Attempting him as a spring training starter is worthwhile.
Though it has been rumored that Rodriguez wants to start, and Toronto is well-positioned to provide him that opportunity, we do not yet know how the Blue Jays will employ him. They have a very powerful rotation at the top. Among the top in the game:
1. RHP Kevin Gausman
2. R.H. Chris Bassitt
3. RHP
