The Yankees have been in hot pursuit of starting pitcher Carlos Rodon for the past few weeks, but they’ve been waiting patiently for the right price. Rodon is actively seeking a deal worth seven years, but the Yankees would prefer to stay in the 4–5 year range, which is more in line with his longevity issues.
For the first time in his career, Rodon pitched more than 170 innings this past season, tossing two consecutive years of 130+ inning baseball coming off Tommy John surgery. The injury concerns are mostly behind him, but mitigating his workload and preparing him for playoff baseball is easier said than done, and the Yankees will have to consider that variable when offering him a lucrative deal.
Starting his career with the Chicago White Sox, Rodon pitched for the San Francisco Giants in 2022, hosting a 2.88 ERA, 2.91 xFIP, 12 strikeouts per nine, a 75.1% left on base rate, and 34.1% ground ball rate. At 30 years old, he is the top starter on the market, and he prefers to sign with the Yankees over other teams, according to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com.
The Yankees have Carlos Rodon right where they want him:
Realistically, if Rodon had already landed a seven-year offer from an alternative club, he likely would’ve signed immediately.
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However, Cashman can provide $30 million per season for six years, including a club option for the final season, he might be willing to settle. Having a chance to compete for a World Series title while earning a substantial amount of money isn’t a bad deal by any means, and the Yankees are looking to bolster the rotation with the departure of Jameson Taillon.
Rodon’s agent, Scott Boras, is pulling out all the stops to try and increase the Yankees’ offer, but general manager Brian Cashman has played this game too many times before.
With the Giants signing Ross Stripling to a two-year contract, their chances of making a substantial bid for Rodon’s services have dwindled. The Bombers likely have the upper hand at this point in time, so it seems to be more of a waiting game.