Were you told the Blue Jays were going to be aggressive this winter?
After granting a contract to Shane Bieber (it was the player who decided on the sidelines of his exit option, but still), Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce, the club does not count absolutely not stop.
Reliever Yariel Rodriguez was removed from the club's 40-man roster (suggesting something is possibly coming for a spot to be vacated on this Saturday in December) this afternoon.
Francys Romero said it first and the Sportsnet reporters (Shi Davidi and Ben Nicholson-Smith) confirmed it, as did the club.
Rodriguez signed a contract as a free agent two years ago (a la Cody Ponce): he was not in the Majors, but signed a contract that was still quite impressive.
The difference? In 2023, Rodriguez didn't pitch at all… and Ponce was the MVP in Korea in 2025. So the Blue Jays can hope things go better for the new guy.
Rodriguez still has to earn at least $17.3 million over three years… and despite everything, the Blue Jays did this. This shows that the club is ready to do anything (especially financially) to win.
More than ever, we must expect reinforcements in the enclosure. This was already to be expected, but here is one more clue.
Note that the Blue Jays (who undoubtedly tried to trade him, just as is the case with Jose Berrios at the moment) placed Rodriguez on waivers and no one claimed him. Rodriguez, however, remains with the organization and will be in camp.
But if he wants his place in the Majors, he will have to earn it – as much through his performances as in the 40- and 26-man rosters. So it won't be easy.
Otherwise, he will pitch in the minors in 2026 at a high price, which could have the effect of sending him a good message regarding his performance. Note that he could still be part of a transaction in the meantime (with a good salary deduction), obviously.
In 2024, Rodriguez was in the rotation. At the start of the 2025 season, he had found his place in the enclosure. But at the end of the 2025 season (and in the playoffs), he had lost his way. This got the better of the position that the club refused to use in the World Series.
The Blue Jays are therefore very serious in their desire to improve, which pleases the club's fans. A good reliever to pitch in the last three innings of a game (with Jeff Hoffman, Yimi Garcia and Louis Varland) is to be expected.
Remember that on Monday, the winter meetings will begin. So it's going to be confusing.
