Why Yariel Rodriguez's future on the Blue Jays should come as a relief pitcher

Yariel Rodriguez pitched in a new country and in the process added a new stamp to his passport last season. Overall, it was a good first step for Rodriguez, who had previously pitched for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan. Ironically, Rodriguez's body of work as a starting pitcher last season may now help the Toronto Blue Jays in filling one of a multitude of holes in their bullpen.

The 27-year-old Cuban right-hander inked a five-year, $32M contract last winter but his role was largely up in the air. Team officials had to decide whether he was better as a reliever or starter. Considering that he spent 2020-2022 in Japan pitching for the Chunichi Dragons almost exclusively as a relief pitcher, this season must have been a change of pace. Working around two stints on the injured list, Rodriguez finished the year with a 1-8 record in 21 games started, a 4.47 ERA and an elevated 1.315 WHIP in 86.2 innings.

In his end-of-season press conference, general manager Ross Atkins praised Rodriguez's work in the rotation but left the door open for a role in the bullpen depending on this winter played out. It appears that Rodriguez's versatility is something team brass have come to appreciate. Last season's injuries/slow starts for Kevin Gausman and Alek Manoah probably contributed to Rodriguez's swift ascension to a starting role.

One thing is clearer than any word salad that the team's top executive will spew: Yariel Rodriguez belongs in the bullpen. Sure, he hasn't done it in North America just yet, but his numbers in Japan a few seasons ago can make anyone salivate at bestowing the role on his shoulders. Plus, there's been plenty of whispering about the possibility going all the way back to the start of the baseball transaction season.

Rodriguez is an interesting case because the guy showed brief flashes even if the results were sometimes wobbly. In averaging a shade above four innings per start, he assumed a good workload for someone that was observing from the sidelines the season prior. Speaking of wobbly results, in 2024 he posted a 5.23 in the first inning, followed by a sub-3 ERA in the fourth and fifth frames, before an unseemly 11.57 and 8.10 ERA in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively.

Combine that with the unsightly number of free passes given out and Rodriguez will need to improve his command in the bullpen. However, the bullpen could work wonders for him because his stuff plays in shorter stints.

Even though he leaves a lot to be desired from a command perspective, his whiff (51st percentile), barrel (76th percentile) and average exit velocity (76th percentile) offer something for observers to dream on. John Schneider and the coaching staff have talked about getting him to throw more fastballs, sinkers and sliders. The latter two pitches were his best offerings last season and combined with a higher velocity on the fastball could be a perfect combination in the bullpen.

With the entire division making moves as the baseball hot stove refuses to simmer down, the time is now for the Blue Jays to make the most straightforward decision of the winter. Let Yariel Rodriguez know what his role is and show up at spring training ready to air it out. The focus for the Blue Jays needs to be bringing in a quality starter and moving Rodriguez back to the bullpen where he can utilize his talents.