Rodríguez bringing intensity, mystery to debut season

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Yariel Rodríguez is baseball’s rarest commodity: a mystery.

One of the best young starters Cuba has produced in years, Rodríguez went on to star as a reliever in Japan with the Chunichi Dragons, then took the 2023 season off while he established residency in the Dominican Republic and was declared an MLB free agent. All this, and he’s only 26.

The Blue Jays were still able to scout Rodríguez extensively, relying on video from his time in Japan and the 2023 World Baseball Classic, but in a game that measures everything you can imagine and several things you can’t, this pursuit was incredibly unique. Layers of Rodríguez will be peeled back over the next five weeks in Dunedin to reveal a pitcher who is bold, brash and counting down the seconds until he gets to to attack hitters again.

“I am very emotional on the mound. Very emotional and intense,” Rodríguez said through a club interpreter. “I like to play with the hitter’s head and their mentality. Yes, I’m very intense.”

It was obvious before Rodríguez even spoke those words.

His glacier blue eyes, set between a pair of diamond studs, could cut holes through concrete. Even as he walks through the sunshine and palm trees that line the Blue Jays’ complex in quiet Dunedin, his footsteps feel intense.

Rodríguez threw his first bullpen session over the weekend as Toronto coaches and pitchers crowded behind him. Just a few mounds away, Chris Bassitt worked through his own routine, but everyone has seen Bassitt throw dozens of times before. This was finally their chance to see Rodríguez in person, not on a screen.

Everything came as advertised, from the wrinkles in his delivery to his heavy fastball, but the data doesn’t matter much until Rodríguez has time to unpack his suitcase. He’s only been here for a few days now, saying he’s 75% of the way to where he wants to be on Opening Day. The biggest question with Rodríguez, for now, is one of role.

“I have always loved being a starter. That’s who I am,” Rodríguez said. “I don’t think I will miss anything about relieving. I had to do it in Japan, because there was a rotation with a lot of veteran guys in front of me, so I had to do it. I won’t miss anything about relieving. The adrenaline of being a starter and taking the mound in the first inning is huge. I love that.”

This won’t be simple, but the path is clear.

Toronto’s rotation seems set with Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Bassitt, Yusei Kikuchi and Alek Manoah having the inside track on the No. 5 job. Bowden Francis and No. 1 prospect Ricky Tiedemann are an impressive front line for the depth group, too, leaving room for 2024 to be a hybrid year for Rodríguez. A start in Triple-A is still a very real option while a bulk role out of the bullpen could make sense, too, allowing Rodríguez to provide immediate value while still stretching out for 2025 and beyond, when a more permanent job in the rotation should be his.

The beauty of Rodríguez’s five-year deal is that it extends the window of this rotation’s depth, particularly with Kikuchi having one season left and Bassitt having two.

Early looks, as introductory as they might be, have left the Blue Jays’ staff impressed. Toronto invested in Rodríguez for a reason.

“He has hesitations in his delivery and different arm slots. Standing behind him, there’s different action on the pitches,” said pitching coach Pete Walker. “I just think he has a great feel for his pitches. There’s a difference in the ball, so we’ll get him used to an MLB baseball compared to the Japanese baseball. The strike zones might be a hair different at times. We’re just going to put some things together for him and I think he’ll adjust really quickly.”

This feels adjacent to the same levels of intrigue that build around a top prospect. Rodríguez should be with the Blue Jays through his prime physical years and has already faced top competition in Cuba and Japan, with NPB hitters presenting the challenge of being extremely selective and disciplined compared to hitters in the United States, who Rodríguez feels are stronger and hit for more power.

This is a learning process -- for both sides -- and that’s what makes the mystery of it all so exciting.