The Rangers and Blue Jays have completed a trade, as both clubs announced that right-hander Yerry Rodriguez is heading to Toronto in exchange for minor league righty Josh Mollerus. Rodriguez has been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo, while the Rangers assigned Mollerus to their high-A affiliate.
Texas designated Rodriguez for assignment earlier this week, and today’s trade officially ends Rodriguez’s decade-long run in the Rangers organization. An international signing out of the Dominican Republic in September 2015, Rodriguez made his MLB debut in 2022 and has a 7.11 ERA over 31 2/3 big league innings for the Rangers over the last three seasons. This year in particular, Rodriguez has a 6.88 ERA in 17 frames, allowing five homers and recording almost as many walks (11) as strikeouts (12).
Almost something of a control specialist during his earliest days as a prospect, Rodriguez’s walk rates have become increasingly problematic over three-plus years at the Triple-A level. The righty has a 5.42 ERA in 151 career Triple-A innings, and his walk rate spiked up to 15.2% this season over 13 1/3 frames at Round Rock.
On the plus side, Rodriguez is a hard thrower who has a 28.16% strikeout rate in his Triple-A career. While this swing-and-miss ability hasn’t translated yet to Rodriguez’s big league work (18.9K% in the majors), Rodriguez has stuff to appeal to other teams, and Toronto scouts may have seen something to make them think they can fix Rodriguez’s control problems.
If nothing else, the trade adds an MLB-ready reliever to the depth chart of a Blue Jays team in sore need of bullpen help. Between the number of injuries and ineffective arms in the Jays relief corps, Rodriguez is an optionable reliever who can shuttled up and down from Triple-A a few more times when the Blue Jays are in need of a fresh arm. A starter earlier in his career, Rodriguez has mostly transitioned over to full-time relief work, and can operate as a multi-inning reliever.
Mollerus is a University of Oregon product who was a 10th-round pick for Toronto in last year’s draft. Mollerus’ early results have also yielded a high number of strikeouts and walks, as the right-hander has a 32.26% strikeout rate and a 15.05% walk rate over 42 1/3 pro innings. Starting at A-level Dunedin last season, Mollerus has pitched with high-A Vancouver in 2024.