Blue Jays Acquire Yerry Rodríguez from Rangers, Send Josh Mollerus in Exchange

The Toronto Blue Jays have secured Dominican reliever Yerry Rodríguez from the Texas Rangers in a recent trade. In return, the Rangers will receive right-handed pitcher Josh Mollerus, both of whom are minor-league bullpen arms. The Rangers have assigned Mollerus to their high-A affiliate, while Rodríguez is set to join Triple-A Buffalo.

Rodríguez, who was designated for assignment by the Rangers earlier this week, concludes a nine-year tenure with the organization. The 26-year-old made his MLB debut in 2022 but has struggled in recent seasons, posting a 7.11 ERA over just over 30 innings with Texas. This season, he has continued to face challenges, recording a 6.88 ERA across 17 innings with notable issues in command, including 11 walks against 12 strikeouts. His minor-league career has also been marked by a 5.42 ERA in 151 innings, with a concerning 15.2% walk rate this season.

However, there is a silver lining with Rodríguez: he brings power to the bullpen. Throughout his minor-league career, he has maintained a solid strikeout rate of 28.16%. A change of scenery might just be what he needs to address his control issues and develop into a more effective pitcher.

While there’s clearly room for improvement, the Blue Jays’ acquisition of Rodríguez holds promise. His major-league experience as a bullpen arm is particularly valuable given Toronto’s current bullpen challenges, including injuries and recent roster moves like designating long-serving reliever Tim Mayza for assignment. Although Rodríguez has started games in the past, his primary experience now lies in relief pitching, where he has proven capable of handling multiple innings—an attribute that adds depth to the Blue Jays’ bullpen.