The Toronto Blue Jays recently came to an agreement with exciting Cuban right-hander Yariel Rodriguez, but he still hasn’t officially signed yet.
According to Cuban Baseball Insider Francys Romero, here’s why:
Cuban right-hander pitcher Yariel Rodriguez (26) is still waiting in the Dominican Republic to receive a visa to enter the United States or Canada and take the physical exam with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Rodriguez needs a visa from both countries but is expected to take the physical in the first of the two countries to issue his visa.
Once this gets done, it remains to be seen how the Blue Jays will use Rodriguez. Though he started for Team Cuba in the World Baseball Classic, he had success in the NPB as a reliever.
Toronto already has five projected starters with Chris Bassitt, Kevin Gausman, Yusei Kikuchi, Jose Berrios and Alek Manoah. If the team doesn’t feel that Manoah can rebound from a disastrous 2023, perhaps Rodriguez could slide in to that spot. If not, he could occupy a bullpen spot.
Or as a previous report suggested, the Jays could use him in the minors to start and build him up until they are ready for him to start at the major league level.
Toronto finished third in the American League East a season ago and was beaten in the wild card round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Twins.
It’s the second consecutive season that the Jays were swept in that round, having also been swept by the Mariners in 2022.
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