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Toronto Blue Jays' Newcomer Arrives in United States After Visa Issues, Heading to ST

After visa issues delayed his arrival to the United States, new Toronto Blue Jays' pitcher Yariel Rodriguez has arrived in Florida and will head to spring training.
Brady Farkas|
Toronto Blue Jays' Newcomer Arrives in United States After Visa Issues, Heading to ST
Toronto Blue Jays' Newcomer Arrives in United States After Visa Issues, Heading to ST

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Toronto Blue Jays

After visa issues delayed his arrival to the United States, new Toronto Blue Jays' pitcher Yariel Rodriguz has landed in Florida and is heading to spring training on Saturday.

Per Cuban Baseball Insider Francys Romero on social media:

Cuban RHP Yariel Rodriguez has just arrived in the United States after almost a month of waiting for his visa. He will report tomorrow to the Toronto Blue Jays Spring Training Camp in Dunedin, Florida. 

Next to Yariel in the photo, his agent Edgar Mercedes from Born to Play.

Rodriguez signed a five-year deal earlier this offseason which is worth more than $30 million total. It's unknown yet exactly how Rodriguez will be used in Toronto but the money would suggest that they view him as a starter.

Rodriguez started back in Cuba and also started for Team Cuba at the World Baseball Classic, but he previously served as a dominant reliever in the NPB. He essentially took all of 2023 off after the World Baseball Classic, so it could take some time to build up.

The Blue Jays project to have five starters already at the Major League level (Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Yusei Kikuchi, Jose Berrios and Alek Manoah), so Rodriguez could start the year in Triple-A to continue his ramp up and then be on call if there is an injury or Manoah struggles.

He could also stretch out as a starter in the spring and then work in a long relief role in the early season in the Majors.

Toronto finished third last season in the American League East.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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