4 free agents the Blue Jays must sign after Yariel Rodriguez to win AL East
The Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly signed Yariel Rodriguez to a four-year deal, reported first by Francys Romero and confirmed by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. It's unclear as to when the deal will become official as Rodriguez has had some hurdles to clear with immigration status, but once that's figured out, he'll be a Toronto Blue Jay.
Source confirms: Blue Jays in agreement with Cuban free-agent RHP Yariel Rodríguez. Deal is pending a physical, and hurdles also remain with his immigration. First with agreement: @francysromeroFR. Wrote about Jays and Rodríguez yesterday: https://t.co/rXkkgSJRt5
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 17, 2024
Rodriguez is an interesting addition for a Blue Jays team that already has one of the best rotations in the American League. Four of their five rotation spots are locked in, but it's possible that Rodriguez will compete with Alek Manoah for the fifth starter spot. Either way, Rodriguez figures to play a big role for the Jays whether it's starting games or working out of the bullpen.
This is the biggest signing the Jays have made in a rather uneventful offseason. They've been linked to superstars like Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani, but have failed to put pen to paper with many players. After signing Rodriguez, the Jays should pursue deals with these four players as they try and win the AL East.
4) The Blue Jays should bring Matt Chapman back after signing Yariel Rodriguez
Bringing Matt Chapman back after the rough season he just had might not be what Jays fans want to hear, but when looking at their infield situation it's a necessity.
First base and shortstop look good with their two best players, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette there, but second and third base look rather weak. Right now, two of Davis Schneider, Santiago Espinal, Cavan Biggio, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa will be starting on any given day at those positions. The Jays can probably live with one of them playing everyday, but the lineup becomes quite weak if they have to rely on two of them.
With virtually no high-end infielders to speak of in free agency other than Chapman, bringing him back to Toronto makes the most sense. Yes, his platform year was underwhelming, but this is still a player who can win a Gold Glove any given year and hit 30+ home runs while hitting in the middle of the order.
He comes with some streakiness and a lot of strikeouts, but Chapman is the best option by far for the Jays who need to upgrade their infield. This feels like a no-brainer.