Cuban Yariel Rodríguez signs multimillion-dollar deal with the Toronto Blue Jays for four years

The Cuban playerYariel Rodriguez He fulfilled his dream of joining a Major League team by signing with the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday, the MLB website reported.

According to the specialized portalSwing Completo, the 26-year-old pitcher and the Canadian team signed a four-year deal worth $32 million.

"In the absence of more details, the average annual amount is eight million. The contract will be made official after the corresponding medical examinations have been carried out," the note states.

The right-hander, who is represented by the WME agency and Edgar Mercedes of Born to Play, has been in the Dominican Republic since 2023 and is now waiting for visas to enter the United States and Canada.

Reportus.as that the New York Yankees, the Houston Astros and the Pittsburgh Pirates also showed interest in the Cuban, who in November wasdeclared a free agent by the MLB Commissioner's Office.

The player separated from the Cuban Federation and the Chunichi Dragons of the Japanese league since March to try to sign with a Major League organization.

"I want to apologize for leaving my contract. like that out of nowhere. But I decided to follow my dreams, which is to play in MLB, which unfortunately I cannot fulfill from Cuba," he told the Japanese team.

After announcing his decision, a few days after participating in the World Classic, the Cuban entity threatened to sue him for 10 million dollars, but finally in October it was learned thatYou would not have to pay anything as there was no legal clause that obligated you.

In the Classic, Rodríguez was the starter of the Opening Day against the Netherlands and the clash against Australia in the Quarterfinals that took the Cubans to the semifinals. He finished the tournament with a 0-0 record, 2.45 earned runs allowed and 10 strikeouts in a total of 7.1 innings.

In 2022, his final year with the NPB's Chunichi Dragons, he made 56 appearances and had a 1.15 ERA, allowing seven runs in 54.2 innings.

Yariel has a fastball that remains stable at 95 miles and sometimes reaches 98, he also has an excellent slider and a splitter that reaches around 90 mph.