EFE (via 14ymedio) Madrid, 18 January 2024 – Right-hander Yariel Rodríguez, who left the Cuban team after his participation in the last World Baseball Classic, reached an agreement to be part of the Toronto Blue Jays in Major League baseball.
The hiring of the 27-year-old “flamethrower” in a multi-year agreement whose amount has not yet been revealed, was announced this Wednesday by the official portal MLB.com.
Rodríguez, who is in the Dominican Republic, where he traveled after finishing his performance with the Cuban team in the last World Baseball Classic, is waiting for the visas that will allow him to enter the United States and Canada.
The new Blue Jays pitcher led the rotation of the Antilles in the World Classic, concluding with a score of 0-0 and a percentage of allowed clean runs of 2.45 in 7.1 innings, in which he recorded 10 strikeouts.
Rodríguez will have the opportunity to join in the rotation of the Blue Jays, led by Kevin Gausman to the Puerto Rican José Berríos
After his performance, Rodríguez, who was hired to reinforce the Dragons of Chunichi in the Professional League of Japan (NPB), gave up traveling to that country, changing his course to the Dominican Republic, where he auditioned for Major League teams.
Upon making that decision, the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) revealed that it would sue the pitcher for 10 million dollars, for the alleged damages caused by Rodríguez for not complying with his agreement with the Chunichi Dragons, which granted him the freedom to be a free agent.
Pitching in Japan, in the 2022 campaign, Rodríguez had a percentage of allowed clean runs of 1.15 with 60 strikeouts in 54.2 innings. In the National Series of Cuba, Rodríguez had a score of 32-30 and six saves and struck out 395 batters, with a 3.50 percentage of allowed clean runs.
Rodríguez has a powerful fastball over 95 miles per hour and can pitch a changeup, curve and slider. Rodríguez will have the opportunity to join the rotation of the Blue Jays, led by Kevin Gausman to the Puerto Rican José Berríos.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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