Yariel Rodriguez

Toronto will presumably give Rodriguez a chance to start heading into 2024, but he’ll probably wind up being a weapon out of the bullpen after posting a microscopic 1.15 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 60/18 K/BB ratio over 54 2/3 innings for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball back in 2022. The 26-year-old righty might be worthy of consideration from fantasy managers as an in-season pickup, especially if he excels this spring in Grapefruit League action.

The 26-year-old Rodriguez wants to be a starter, and the Blue Jays will most likely let him compete for a spot this spring. Still, it’d probably be best for the team if Alek Manoah bounces back and Rodriguez settles in as a setup man in front of Jordan Romano. While he has been a starter for most of his career, Rodriguez was a stellar reliever for the Chunichi Dragons of Japan in 2022, finishing with a 1.15 ERA in 54 2/3 innings.

Enrique Rojas of ESPN reported in late December that the Jays were considered the favorites to land the Cuban right-hander, and it sounds like they still like their chances of getting a deal done. Rosenthal notes that there are still hurdles that Rodriguez has to clear in immigration, which may be preventing a deal from being finalized. The 26-year-old hurler may need to be utilized out of the bullpen initially — as he sat out the entire 2023 season after participating in the World Baseball Classic — but his long-term future still looks to be in the rotation.