Cuban Pitcher Yariel Rodríguez DFA'd by Blue Jays After Struggling Season

The Toronto Blue Jays have designated Cuban pitcher Yariel Rodríguez for assignment (DFA), a move that comes after a difficult start to his season in Major League Baseball. Rodríguez has struggled significantly, posting a 7.71 earned run average over 10 appearances. This performance led the team to remove him from the 40-man roster.

Rodríguez, often referred to as 'Y-Rod,' joined the Blue Jays on a notable five-year contract worth $32 million, approximately 1.01 billion New Taiwan dollars. This signing occurred in 2024, following his participation in the 2023 World Baseball Classic representing Cuba. Prior to his MLB career, he played for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball from 2020. His move to challenge the MLB stage involved defecting to the Dominican Republic after the classic.

His MLB career has seen a downward trend. In his first season in 2024, he made 21 starts and recorded a 1-8 win-loss record with a 4.47 ERA. The following year, he primarily worked as a reliever, appearing in 66 games with one start, achieving a 3-2 record, a 3.08 ERA, and securing 14 holds and 2 saves. However, his postseason performance last year was particularly poor, giving up 3 runs in 2.2 innings for an ERA of 10.13, which resulted in him being left off the World Series roster.

This season, Rodríguez began in Triple-A before being called up to the majors on May 11. All 10 of his appearances have been in relief. His struggles continued, with a .324 batting average against him and a WHIP of 2.04, culminating in the Blue Jays' decision to DFA him.