Red Sox showing interest in Yariel Rodriguez (report)
As the Red Sox continue to look for pitching upgrades, they have been connected to a handful of free agents. That includes reliever Yariel Rodriguez, in whom Boston was still showing interest as of Wednesday, according to MLB reporter Francys Romero. The talented reliever would be an interesting addition, considering he has never pitched in the majors.
Rodriguez has drawn plenty of buzz due to his career in Cuba and in Nippon Professional Baseball. In six seasons in Cuba, he posted a 31-26 record while pitching to a 3.30 ERA. He then took his talent to another continent and signed with the Chunichi Dragons. In three seasons as a Dragon, he posted a 3.30 ERA in 70 appearances.
While Rodriguez has been good everywhere he has pitched, he shined in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. The 26-year-old made a pair of starts for Cuba and struck out 10 batters in 7.1 innings. After the Classic, Rodriguez sat out the NPB season in an attempt to get out of his contract and join an MLB team. As a result, the Dragons released him in March.
Due to his success at every stop, a bidding war has started for Rodriguez's services. However, the Red Sox have seen him in person as they attended a private workout held by Rodriguez earlier in the offseason.
Over the last few weeks, the Blue Jays, Pirates, Astros, Reds and Yankees have been connected to Rodriguez. As spring training draws closer, Rodriguez's market is expected to heat up, with plenty of teams in need of his services.
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