Why can’t the Yankees and the Giants agree on a deal for Carlos Rodón?
With other teams involved in the race for the pitcher’s services, can the Yankees actually afford to hold out for a better price in the bidding war that’s coming?
The MLB offseason is now definitely in full swing, with the Giants having made a mammoth move for the best shortstop out there, but it’s one of their own players whose potential move is making the headlines as well.
Yankees want Carlos Rodón but not for the current price
In the wake of Carlos Correa’s massive deal with the San Francisco Giants, things are starting to pick up pace in the free agent market. Indeed, there’s just over a week left before the league’s winter meetings and with that, we can expect to see some other deals taking place in the next few days. With that in mind, there is one potential signing that is on everyone’s mind and that’s Carlos Rodón’s. According to reports, the re-signing of superstar Aaron Judge has done nothing to cool the Yankees’ interest in left-handed assassin Carlos Rodón. Described as a “top priority,” Rodón is said to be seeking a seven-year deal in the realm of $210 million minimum, while the Yankees are said to be unwilling to go so high in both years and/or money. This is where things get tricky.
Is Carlos Rodón worth it?
An interesting point to note, is that Rodón is actually not too long out of a minor-league deal. Indeed, just two seasons ago the 30-year-old was signed to one, but needless to say he’s become arguably the best pitcher in the league since then. In 2021, he was 13-5 with a 2.37 ERA (185 ERA+), 0.96 WHIP and 185 strikeouts across 132 2/3 innings. Truthfully, if it wasn’t for a shoulder injury down the stretch, Rodón wouldn’t have had to settle for a two-year deal, though to be fair he opted out after the first season. During this last season, Rodón was impressive over his 31 starts for the Giants, going 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA (140 ERA+), 1.03 WHIP and 237 strikeouts in 178 innings.
Is a Yankees move for Carlos Rodón going to happen?
If we strip away the rhetoric, Rodón is most definitely a top tier pitcher, but he comes with a history of shoulder problems. The Yankees for their part, have made it abundantly clear that they want him and following Judge’s suggestion that they make improvements, one has to imagine a deal has got to be on the cards. Add to that, the fact that word on the street suggests Rodón actually wants to be a Yankee and you’d probably think to bet on those cards. Yet, here we stay for the moment. The Cardinals are also said to be in the mix, along with the Twins, so at this point we’re not necessarily any closer to a final deal. The only thing that’s certain, is that Rodón is the best remaining starter on the market, which means one way or another we’re going to see a move made.