On what felt like the 1,000th day of a disappointing season, the Blue Jays reached an agreement with Cuban right-hander Yariel Rodriguez, who brings a lot of intrigue to the organization.
Rodriguez is only 26 years old and signed with the Blue Jays in the prime of his career, but there are still many things unknown about him. After pitching professionally as a starter in Cuba, Rodriguez had mixed results in Japan before having a breakout season with the Tsuneichi Dragons in 2022, for whom he posted a 1.15 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 54.2 innings. Rodriguez last competed a year ago when he represented Cuba in the World Baseball Classic, but he did not return to his Japanese team and was eventually declared a free agent in the MLB.
All of which brings us here. While some clubs may look to Rodriguez as a reliever, the Blue Jays are in a good position of flexibility as they can use him in a hybrid role while preparing him to be a full-time starter in 2025. On that note, consider Rodriguez an improved and experienced prospect. Plan A will be there, but if things don't go as expected, the right-hander has already shown the versatility to succeed in multiple roles.
This means: depth of rotation, finally
Toronto's rotation depth isn't good enough. It's not in 2022 or 2023, but the combination of Ross Stribling and the good health of veteran starters has masked the problem in each of the past two seasons. The Blue Jays have been very fortunate that this weakness hasn't been exposed further, but now they finally have better protection against it.
Even if he's too fast to trust Rodriguez as a major league starter, Cuban is now part of a growing group with depth. Bowden Francis, who has high hopes in the system, and Ricky Tietman, the club's No. 1 prospect, could make their big-team debuts early in the season. In the modern game, “depth” comes in many forms, and last season we saw Francis and Trevor Richards used in place of Alec Manoa, so Rodriguez's ability to pitch multiple innings provides immediate value.
Or it means (…necessarily): a change
A pitcher enters. Another one comes out. Is it true?
The Blue Jays shouldn't force a move on this one. The addition of Rodriguez moves their rotation depth into a slightly more comfortable space, but certainly not into the realm of excess. Toronto's experienced starters and the club's coaching staff deserve a lot of credit for the team's health last season, but part of a rotation's success will always be luck. Soon, the Blue Jays will have a season where they need 10 starters and they need to be ready.
MLB management has grown in a similar way, but if I had to single out this group in particular, I'd say they love going forward. It's no coincidence that Rodriguez is being tapped as the full-time starter just as Yusei Kikuchi enters free agency.
It all depends on what version Rodriguez can create with the Blue Jays. During his dominant 2022 season as a reliever in Japan, Cuban consistently hit high-90s mph, pairing an impressive pitch with that fastball. The bullpen version of Rodriguez may rely on three consecutive pitches, but the Blue Jays need to monitor his long-term development at the same time, which means they need to focus on his splitter and slider pitching to complement his arsenal.
In a long career, it will be encouraging to see if Rodriguez can consistently throw 94 mph fastballs. He has shown that he can strike out professional hitters with good rhythm, but his control and walk rate may be the most determining factor in his success in the major leagues.
The most interesting detail? How the Japanese style of baseball influenced Rodriguez during his time in the Asian country, especially when it comes to generating power from his lower body and using different angles with his arm to keep opponents off balance.
Rodriguez's situation with the Blue Jays is interesting. He's not yet a major leaguer, but he's not much of a development prospect, more of a transitional case. But that makes it one of the most remarkable stories on this list.
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