Blue Jays outright Cuban pitcher Yariel Rodriguez to minors

From a $32 million US gamble prior to his North American debut to a non roster player in two years, the shine has dimmed from Blue Jays reliever Yariel Rodriguez.

The 28-year-old Cuban may not be done with the Jays, but he’ll have to work his way back onto the roster after the team outright him from the 40-man roster on Saturday.

The move could be linked to a future roster move, given that the three-year-contract the Jays agreed to with starter Cody Ponce has yet to be announced officially by the team.

By being removed from the 40-man roster, which the Jays announced Saturday, Rodriguez had been designated for assignment by the team but then cleared waivers. The fact that he went unclaimed — and with a bulky contract of more than $20 million owing that was no surprise — means the Jays can keep Rodriguez, though they were willing to release him for nothing.

With the off-season moves potentially heating up, the Jays are certainly looking to upgrade their bullpen, a place where Rodriguez had shone for much of the 2025 season. The right-hander was particularly effective in May and June when he was one of the top late-inning options for Jays manager John Schneider and pitching coach Pete Walker.

That form waned later in the season as the velocity of his pitches dropped to the point where Rodriguez was so ineffective that he was left off the team’s World Series roster.

The Jays signed Rodriguez to a five-year, $32-million US deal prior to the 2024 season with initial hopes that he would have the potential to be a starter for the team. He had 22 appearances in that role but never showed the consistency to be a regular arm in the rotation, prompting the Jays to transition Rodriguez to more of a swing role.

In the present, outrighting Rodriguez opens up a potentially valuable spot on the 40-man roster as the offseason figures to heat up considerably with the start of the winter meetings on Monday in Orlando, Fla.  Rodriguez is owed $5 million next season and $6 million in 2027, which helps explain why none of the other 29 teams claimed him.

With the open roster spot, general manager Ross Atkins can continue forging ahead on his offseason priorities which now appear focused on adding a high-leverage reliever and an impact bat.

The 2025 season had its moments for Rodriguez, who had a 3.08 ERA in 73 innings of work spread out over 66 appearances.