The Toronto Blue Jays made a quietly surprising roster move by outrighting right-hander Yariel Rodriguez off their 40-man roster after he cleared waivers. This happened despite a shiny 3.08 ERA in 2025.
Beneath that surface success, the underlying metrics, financial implications, and Toronto’s aggressive offseason strategy all help explain why a pitcher with postseason experience and three years left on his deal is suddenly on the outside looking in.
Blue Jays Take Calculated Gamble on Yariel Rodriguez
On paper, cutting ties with a reliever who posted a 3.08 ERA over 73 innings in 2025 seems counterintuitive. Especially for a club with World Series ambitions, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher.
The Blue Jays are clearly betting that the numbers beneath the ERA tell a truer story than the headline stat.
From Rotation Experiment to High-Leverage Reliever
Rodriguez’s role in Toronto has shifted a lot since his arrival. He worked mainly as a starter in 2024 and posted a 4.47 ERA, then moved into a high-leverage bullpen role in 2025 and started out strong.
He earned important late-inning assignments and even appeared in both the ALDS and ALCS. But despite that October usage, Rodriguez was left off the World Series roster.
That decision now looks like the first sign that Toronto’s trust in him was fading, even as his traditional stats suggested an upward trajectory.
Why the ERA Didn’t Tell the Full Story
The Jays’ front office leaned heavily on advanced metrics when evaluating Rodriguez. Those numbers painted a more cautious picture.
While his 3.08 ERA looked impressive, several indicators suggested it wasn’t built on sustainable performance.
The contrast between his results and his process was pretty stark. While the Jays appreciated the 2025 production, they projected a step back going forward.
Contract, Waivers, and Why No Team Bit
Rodriguez’s contract played a big role in all this. Toronto signed him less than two years ago to a five-year, $32 million deal, a commitment that now looks heavy given his current role and projections.
Salary Commitments Scare Off Suitors
Rodriguez still has $17 million remaining over the next three seasons, including a $5 million salary in 2026 and a $6 million player option for 2028. For a reliever whose peripherals hint at a back-end or middle-relief profile, that price tag probably cooled the market.
When Toronto placed him on waivers, no team wanted to absorb the remaining commitment. With so many organizations trying to balance competing and managing payroll under luxury tax thresholds, it just wasn’t worth the risk.
Rodriguez cleared waivers and the Jays outrighted him off the 40-man roster. Since he lacks enough service time, he can’t reject the assignment, so he stays in the Blue Jays’ system but now in a secondary bullpen role without the security of a 40-man spot.
Blue Jays’ Bigger Offseason Picture
This move fits into a larger pattern. Toronto has been one of the more aggressive teams this offseason, reshaping significant parts of its pitching staff while keeping a close eye on the luxury tax line.
New Arms In, Pressure on Payroll
The Jays have already made some substantial additions:
Those moves come with a cost. Payroll projections are now hovering around $268 million, pushing Toronto into serious luxury tax territory.
Every marginal contract on the books carries extra weight, and a non-essential reliever at $5–6 million per year becomes a clear target. By outrighting Rodriguez and opening up flexibility, the Blue Jays gain room to maneuver.
They still have two open 40-man roster spots heading into the Winter Meetings. That gives them the ability to pounce on further upgrades in relief or bench depth without an immediate corresponding cut.
What Comes Next for Yariel Rodriguez and Toronto
For Rodriguez, this feels like a crossroads. He’s still in the organization, and if the major league bullpen takes a hit from injuries or someone just isn’t getting it done, he could pop back up in Toronto.
But let’s be honest: he’s not really a core piece of the Jays’ pitching plans anymore.
For the Blue Jays, this move screams modern front office. They’re leaning on advanced metrics, luxury tax math, and roster flexibility instead of just ERA or name recognition.
They want another deep postseason run, and it seems like they believe squeezing value from the edges—even in ways that catch people off guard—gives them the best shot to finish what they started last October.
Here is the source article for this story: Blue Jays Outright Yariel Rodriguez
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