The Toronto Blue Jays have reached a four-year, $32 million deal with Cuban right-hander Yariel Rodriguez, multiple outlets reported Wednesday.
The deal is pending a physical and the resolution of immigration hurdles. Rodriguez is currently in the Dominican Republic, where teams have been evaluating him.
Sources told ESPN Deportes' Enrique Rojas that Toronto was one of the teams that offered Rodriguez a chance to start games, which is what he preferred, as opposed to others that saw him as a reliever.
Rodriguez, 26, went 10-10 with a 3.03 ERA in 79 relief appearances with Chunichi of the Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan from 2020 to 2022. He last pitched for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic, electing not to return to Chunichi in 2023.
The Dragons released him in November, making him a free agent.
Rodriguez, who sports a fastball in the mid-90s, made two starts in the WBC, finishing with a 2.45 ERA while striking out 10 in 7 1/3 innings.
Field Level Media contributed to this report.
