The Toronto Blue Jays made a somewhat surprising decision on Saturday.

The Blue Jays outrighted 28-year-old hurler Yariel Rodríguez from their roster just two years after signing a five-year, $32 million deal with the organization out of Cuba. However, Rodríguez cleared waivers and will remain with the organization.

On Monday, Blue Jays insider Keegan Matheson of MLB.com shared on X that the team’s plan moving forward is that Rodríguez will “continue as a reliever” and has a shot at winning back his 40-man roster spot.

“Ross Atkins says that Yariel Rodríguez will continue as a reliever and they’ll focus on his building his command,” Matheson wrote on X. “Not an ideal situation, but the Blue Jays can handle the contract and there’s still a path for him to win his 40-man spot back (like Tim Mayza post-surgery in 2021).”

Rodriguez still has three years left on his deal, but Toronto has shown that it isn’t afraid to open up its wallet, so money shouldn’t really be a concern. The Blue Jays signed Dylan Cease to a $210 million deal and have been linked to both Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker.

Rodríguez had a 3.08 ERA in 66 appearances in 2025. If he can work through his command issues this offseason, maybe this could end up being a blessing in the long run.

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