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The last position in the rotation is unclear. Alek Manoah had a spot in the rotation at the beginning of last year, but he struggled and was sent to the minors twice. Hyun Jin Ryu came back from his Tommy John surgery in the middle of the season and took Manoah’s spot in the rotation. However, Ryu became a free agent at the end of the season. The relationship between Manoah and the Blue Jays may not be perfect due to his struggles last year, but he was still favored for a spot in the rotation not too long ago. Rodríguez, 27 in March, has been an interesting wild card of this offseason. He had pitched as a starter at the beginning of his career in Cuba but then was moved to the bullpen during a three-year stint in Japan. He then briefly returned to a starting role for Cuba in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, then didn’t return to his club in Japan. He was eventually granted his release and has been holding showcases for MLB clubs.

Rodríguez garnered a great deal of attention during the offseason, with numerous teams present at his showcases. The Rays, Red Sox, Padres, Astros, Pirates, Yankees, and Reds were all linked to him at different times, with some seeing him as a potential starting pitcher while others believed he would be better suited as a relief pitcher. The Blue Jays were among the teams that saw him as a viable starter and seemed to be the frontrunner to acquire him in recent weeks.

The club may consider a trade to acquire additional players without having to pay the high prices of current free agents. However, there is also a chance that they still have enough funds to sign a free agent. The club has been linked to big hitters such as Joc Pederson, Jorge Soler, and J.D. Martinez.

The team still has the option to acquire free agents, including Chapman, Belt, and Merrifield. However, it is possible that their budget is becoming more limited. According to Roster Resource, the team’s current payroll is estimated at 1 million, slightly higher than last year’s 5 million. They also have a competitive balance tax figure of 1 million. The team’s CEO and president, Mark Shapiro, had previously stated that this year’s payroll would likely be comparable to last year’s. The specifics of Rodríguez’s contract are still unknown, but it will likely push the team’s payroll even higher than last year. Their competitive balance tax number will also likely exceed the 7 million threshold.

The Blue Jays entered the offseason with a solid pitching staff, but their lineup appeared to require some extra focus. However, they also considered adding more pitching, as evidenced by their pursuit of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell. The team currently has four rotation spots secured for the 2024 season, with Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt, and Yusei Kikuchi all remaining on the roster.

Other potential starting players on the team include Mitch White, Bowden Francis, and Wes Parsons. Prospect Ricky Tiedemann, who advanced to Triple-A last year, is also in consideration for a roster spot. However, injuries restricted him to 62 innings last season, including a stint in the Arizona Fall League. Like Rodríguez, he may have a workload limit this year.

There have been rumors circulating about Manoah potentially being traded this winter, and the addition of Rodríguez may increase the likelihood of a deal. However, Rodríguez did not pitch in the previous year due to his involvement in the WBC and has primarily been a reliever for the past three seasons. The Blue Jays may not expect him to immediately pitch a high number of innings this year without any issues, so he may be viewed as a long-term project. It is possible that they will keep Manoah on the team and utilize Rodríguez in longer relief appearances, with the goal of gradually increasing his workload in 2025 and beyond.

If the Blue Jays have sufficient trust in Rodríguez and their other team members, they may utilize this to make changes to their lineup. Recently, they have had players such as Matt Chapman, Brandon Belt, and Whit Merrifield leave for free agency, but have only made one new addition by signing Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who is primarily known for his defensive skills.

At 12:40pm, it has been confirmed by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic that an agreement has been reached. However, there are still immigration obstacles that need to be addressed. According to Enrique Rojas of ESPN, Rodriguez will undergo his physical in the United States, but is currently awaiting a visa that will permit him to enter the country from the Dominican Republic.

At 11:59am, reporter Francys Romero announced that the Blue Jays and pitcher Yariel Rodríguez have reached a contract agreement. The specific terms of the contract are unknown, but Romero reports that Rodríguez, who is represented by WME, will undergo a physical in Toronto within the next few days. Yesterday, it was reported that the Blue Jays were confident in their ability to sign Rodríguez, but were facing immigration challenges. However, with his expected arrival in Canada, it seems that those issues have been resolved. As Toronto’s 40-man roster is currently full, they will need to make room for Rodríguez through a corresponding move in order for the deal to become official.

He started his professional journey during the 2015-16 season of the Cuban National Series at the age of 18. He participated in 91 games over multiple seasons, starting 72 of them and achieving a combined earned run average of 3.30 in 464 1/3 innings. In 2020, he was signed by the Chunichi Dragons of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball and was primarily used as a relief pitcher for the next three seasons. During this time, he pitched a total of 175 1/3 innings with an ERA of 3.03. He had a strikeout rate of 25.4% and a walk rate of 10.4% against his opponents. His performance in the 2022 season was particularly noteworthy, with an impressive ERA of 1.15 in 54 2/3 innings. He struck out 27.5% of opponents while only walking 8.3%. He also made two starts in the WBC, pitching a total of 7 1/3 innings and recording 10 strikeouts, but also walking six batters.

At 1:50pm, according to Romero, the deal is for million over a period of four years.

When players from other countries join the North American leagues, their evaluations by MLB teams can vary greatly. Due to Rodríguez’s unique journey, this variance may be even greater than usual. A positive team may consider his young age, previous experience as a starting pitcher, and successful performances as a reliever in 2022. However, a negative perspective may note that the right-handed pitcher has not been a starter in several years and had minimal playing time in 2023, leading to an uncertain future. At the beginning of the offseason, MLBTR projected Rodríguez to potentially sign a four-year contract worth million.

There are still some unanswered questions surrounding the Jays. The performance of Rodríguez in spring and throughout the year will greatly affect the answers to these questions. If he proves himself as a reliable starter, it will help the Jays deal with upcoming departures. Kikuchi will become a free agent after 2024, followed by Bassitt in 2025 and Gausman in 2026. If things don’t go according to plan, the team will hope that Rodríguez can contribute as a valuable member of their bullpen. Current relievers Yimi García and Trevor Richards will also become free agents after 2024, while Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson, Chad Green, Tim Mayza, and Génesis Cabrera will hit the open market after 2025.