The last time the New York Yankees were this excited about the signing of a Cuban pitcher was when they signed Orlando “El Duque” Hernández in 1998.
20 years after signing “El Duque,” in 2018 the signing of Osiel Rodríguez seemed to bring out a familiar excitement for the New York Yankees brass and for the young hurler. I spoke with the kid about signing with the Yanks and this is what he had to say:
"“It brings me great joy to have signed with the winningest franchise in baseball history. Being a Yankee gives me more incentive to reach the big leagues. It is every kid’s dream in Cuba to pitch in Yankee Stadium.”"
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At 16 years of age when he signed with the Bronx Bombers for $600K, the flamethrower was already bringing the heat. His fastball was clocked at triple digits and already had an extensive array of breaking pitches.
The Fernández comparison
Because of his build and his complex repertoire he has drawn a comparison to the late José Fernández, “I am very happy to be compared to such a great pitcher. If it wasn’t for his untimely death he might have been the best pitcher in the league today.”
At 6 ‘3 and 200 lbs, Rodríguez is as intimidating and menacing to the batters he is facing as Fernández was when on the mound. The Ciego de Ávila native also shares his confidence, “I want to be like Fernández or better.”
With time on the farm and maturation, the Yankees see Rodríguez as a future front line starter. He could possibly one day be the ace of their staff.
Denny’s good friend
Denny Larrondo, the Yankee’s player who tested positive for the coronavirus and is steadily recuperating is not only a good friend of Rodríguez but was his stablemate when they trained together in the Dominican Republic.
The two were signed by the New York Yankees last July 2nd but pitched for different rookie teams during last season. Rodriguez was in the Dominican Summer League, while Larrondo pitched for the Gulf Coast Yankees.
Rodríguez did nothing to hide his adoration for Larrondo not only as a person but also a pitcher when I asked him about Denny,“I love like a brother. We are going to help and push each other to be the best pitchers possible. God willing one day we will be teammates in the majors.”
A rough start
His first season of pro ball was anything but rosy. He had a rough year in the DOSL posting a record of 0-1 and an ERA of 5.59 in five outings.
His velocity was a little down and this contributed to a subpar campaign, ” Last year I was hurt and I couldn’t pitch a lot of innings. I’m fully recuperated and ready for Spring Training. ”
Sources tell me he will throw and extended Spring Training and then probably be placed in either A-ball or New York’s short-season A-club, depending on how he performs.
This upcoming year will be an important year in the development of Rodríguez and expect him to be up to the challenge.