Cuban Pitcher Coming to MLB


The World Baseball Classic did many things for the sport, not the least of which is expose us to otherwise little-known players who could be strutting their stuff in the majors if given the chance. Breaking news today has one Cuban pitcher trying to do just that. 

Yariel Rodríguez, who recently showed his stuff at the WBC, has left the Chunichi Dragons in Japan, and has arrived in the Dominican Republic this morning, looking to hook up with a major league club. His displayed his filthy stuff at the World Baseball Classic earlier this month.

As noted by baseball insider Michael Mayer, Rodriguez posted a 1.15 ERA as a reliever in the Nippon League last season. He was hitting 98 mph as a starter for Cuba at the WBC. 

He'd been with Chunichi in Japan for the last three seasons, posting a 3.03 ERA with 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings.