International free agents have dominated the MLB offseason. The latest signing is courtesy of the Toronto Blue Jays, who reportedly agreed to a four-year contract with Cuban pitcher, Yariel Rodríguez. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the deal is in agreement, but is still pending some immigration hurdles as Rodríguez waits for a visa to enable him to enter the United States from the Dominican Republic to do his physical.

Rodríguez, 27 in March, began his career in his native Cuba back in 2015 when he was 18 years old. During his time in Cuba he pitched in 91 games in that league over six seasons, making 72 starts and posting a combined earned run average of 3.30 in 464 1/3 innings. In 2020 he then was able to head to Japan to play for the Chunichi Dragons where he played for three seasons through 2022. In that stretch in Japan he tossed 175 1/3 innings and posted a 3.03 ERA in a relief role. He also had a 25.4% strikeout against a 10.4% walk rate. His 2022 season was one of his best ever when he posted a 1.15 ERA in 54 2/3 innings with 60 strikeouts against just 18 walks.

While he was viewed mainly as a reliever in Japan, teams in MLB have the belief that he can still be an effective starter with relief duty as a reliable alternative. Rodríguez had an opportunity to showcase his skills to the world when he pitched with Team Cuba in the World Baseball Classic in 2023. In two starts, Rodríguez allowed two runs on five hits in 7 1/3 innings with 10 strikeouts and six walks. He secured his release from the Dragons and was declared a free agent but he wasn’t able to pitch in official games last year after the WBC.

Led by a fastball that sits at 96 mph, Rodríguez features a deep repertoire that could translate well to starting. His raw talent is enough to make any team excited about the possibilities he could bring to a club as a starter or out of the bullpen. This swingman ability is what makes the Blue Jays a logical explanation for a union.

Entering the season the Blue Jays have roughly four-fifths of their rotation sorted out with Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi all returning. Hyun Jin Ryu is now a free agent and the future of Alek Manoah in a Blue Jays uniform is up in the air. Their top prospects that could fill a fifth spot in the rotation don’t exactly have the longest MLB track record or saw their 2023 season shortened in the minors due to injury. This leaves the Blue Jays is a unique position to take advantage of Rodríguez for some roster security.

Rodríguez can easily slide into open spaces on the roster as free agents depart in the coming years. While he may have an inside track to earn a starting role out of the gate, the Blue Jays will have to consider the reality that he has;t pitched in a professional game since the WBC, and before that hadn’t started since 2019 full time. Immediately throwing him into the rotation with the expectation of a full MLB workload as a starter is likely unwise for the Blue Jays. An option they could explore is essentially operating with a pseudo-six-man rotation. Rodríguez could start occasionally, slowly building up his workload throughout the year while working out the bullpen. Spring training will offer plenty of insight into what the Blue Jays decide to do and will manage his development

All things considered, Rodríguez is a nice pickup for Toronto. It not only gives them roster versatility but also some financial security as Rodríguez was projected to earn a four-year deal worth $32 million. Considering the prices of starting pitchers, he could end up being a bargain for the Blue Jays for the next few years. The team now turns its focus to continue filling out its position player depth, and the acquisition of Rodríguez gives them some options to trade a player like Alek Manoah to acquire talent or free up space to add a bat like Jorge Soler or J.D. Martinez.

The Blue Jays have missed out on some notable free agents this offseason, but finally make a splash with Rodríguez. The AL East is still sizing up to be a difficult division and it’s difficult to say if the Blue Jays have done enough to finish higher than third in their division. Still plenty of work to do, but fans will have to wait for the answers to questions once spring training rolls around in a month.