Waving flag with Boston Red Sox professional team logo. Editorial 3D
Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow allegedly is on a mission to bolster the pitching staff this offseason, placing an emphasis on starting pitching.
Whether Breslow actually will fulfill his promises remains to be seen but there at least appears to be some activity in the mid-market range.
We’ve seen the Red Sox linked to hurlers such as Lucas Giolito, Shota Imanaga and James Paxton in recent days. We can now add one highly intriguing right-hander whose role is undefined to the list of players attached to Boston.
“Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds remain among the teams interested in the Cuban right-hander Yariel Rodríguez, per sources,” Francys Romero reported Wednesday.
Rodríguez would be deemed a high-upside starter but there would be some question marks attached to his floor. Should the 26-year-old agree to join the bullpen, there’s little doubt he’d be an impact hurler on Opening Day.
The Cuban star garnered attention for his performance in the World Baseball Classic after posting a 2.45 ERA with 10 strikeouts, six walks and a .200 batting average against in 7 1/3 innings.
He last pitched professionally with the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan, where he absolutely dominated.
Rodríguez went 6-2 with a 1.15 ERA, 60-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 0.92 WHIP in 54 2/3 innings for the Chunichi Dragons in 2022. Across three seasons, the right-hander posted a 3.03 ERA.
The intriguing prospect is expected to sign this winter and could contribute right away as a reliever or take some time in Triple-A to hone his craft as a starter. In either scenario, he’ll be a name to watch for whichever organization he joins.
