Two Specific Teams Emerge as Suitors For World Baseball Classic Star, Who is Now a Free Agent

Yariel Rodriguez starred on the mound for Team Cuba at the World Baseball Classic this past March. After pitching in Japan for several seasons, he's coming stateside, with the Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres reportedly showing interest.

Right-handed pitcher Yariel Rodriguez starred for Team Cuba in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and is now drawing interest from the Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres on the free agent market. He recently held a workout with those two teams in attendance.

There isn't much known about Rodriguez from a recent scouting perspective but MLBTradeRumors put together the most complete profile of the last few weeks:

Rodriguez spent three seasons pitching out of the bullpen for the Chunichi Dragons (NPB), racking up a 3.03 ERA with a 25.4% strikeout rate in 175 1/3 innings during that time. His 2022 campaign with the Dragons was particularly impressive as he dominated to the tune of a microscopic 1.15 ERA in 54 2/3 frames, with a 27.5% strikeout rate against an 8.3% walk rate.

After his dominant work in Japan, Rodriguez suited up as a starting pitcher for his home country of Cuba during the World Baseball Classic, during which he struck out ten while allowing two runs on five hits and six walks in 7 1/3 innings of work between his two appearances. Following his appearances in the WBC back in March, Rodriguez sat out the remainder of the 2023 campaign as the Dragons placed him on the restricted list prior to granting the righty his release last month.

We also had this report on Rodriguez, earlier in November.

It's good to see both these organizations present and scouring the globe for talent. The Red Sox are in dire need of pitching talent at both the major and upper-level minors levels and appear determined to get it under new President of Baseball Operations Craig Breslow.

The Padres have a new manager in Mike Shildt and are likely to lose Blake Snell and Josh Hader in free agency, so they also need a bump to their staff to replace those eventual losses.

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