Cuban pitcher Yariel Rodriguez breaks contract with Japan’s Chunichi to challenge the big leagues
Cuban right-hander Yariel Rodriguez (26) challenges to advance to the American stage.
‘Baseball FR’ quoted a source on the 29th (Korean time) and said that Rodriguez is going to terminate the contract with his current team, the Nippon Professional Baseball Chunichi Dragons, and promote a contract with a major league club.
He signed a contract with Chunichi in 2020 on the condition that he pays a portion of his salary to the Cuban government.
For three years in Japanese professional baseball, he appeared in 79 games and played 175 1/3 innings, recording an ERA of 3.03.
He played as a starter his first two seasons, but switched to the bullpen for the 2022 season. In 56 games, he pitched 54 2/3 innings with a 1.15 earned run average, 0.915 WHIP, no home runs, 18 walks and 60 strikeouts.
He participated as a Cuban representative in the World Baseball Classic and contributed to the team’s advancement to the semifinals. However, he did not return to his team after the tournament, but instead headed to the Dominican Republic.
He is the second defector from the WBC Cuban national team. Earlier, the team’s bullpen catcher Ivan Prieto refused to return to Cuba and remained in the United States. He is the first player on the roster to sever ties with the Cuban Baseball Association.
Rodriguez is past 25, so he can sign with a major league club without any restrictions.
‘Baseball FR’ borrowed the evaluation of multiple major league club officials and predicted that he would be able to play an active role as a 3rd to 5th starter after receiving a contract worth 50 million dollars for 5 to 6 years in the major leagues. 카지노사이트
It is not uncommon for players contracted with Nippon Professional Baseball under the approval of the Cuban government to break it and enter the major leagues. Previously, Hector Mendoza, Adolis Garcia, and Oscar Colas signed major league contracts in this way.
In order for Rodriguez to sign with a major league team, Chunichi must admit to breaking the contract and let him go. In the case of Colas, his contract with the major league team was delayed as his former team, the Softbank Hawks, did not let him go easily.
