Yankees closing in on top available starting pitcher, per MLB Insider

The New York Yankees locking up Aaron Judge on a monster $360 million extension hasn’t deterred them from spending more on the free agent market. In fact, general manager Brian Cashman is heavily pursuing starting pitcher Carlos Rodon, which has been reported routinely over the past two weeks or so.

Retaining Judge was Cashman’s priority, but the Yankees are far from finishing their off-season plan that includes revitalizing the roster and bolstering specific units.

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In fact, according to one MLB insider, the Yankees are heavily involved with Rodon, who is seeking a deal worth around $30 million per season.

The Yankees tried to acquire Rodon before the trade deadline, but talks with the Giants never gained much traction. So they’ve had interest in him for a while. In addition to his talent and swing & miss stuff, Yankees like his toughness. They see him as a great fit in NY market.

Per Jack Curry of YES Network

The Yankees can build an elite starting rotation:

Seemingly, Rodon is a perfect fit to join the Yankees at 29 years old. Longevity is a bit of a concern, given he pitched a career-high 178 innings this past season with the San Francisco Giants.

Before 2022, Rodon had only reached 100 innings once in the previous three seasons, so his injury history does present some question marks. Nonetheless, he featured a 2.88 ERA with the Giants this past campaign, hosting a 2.91 xFIP, 12 strikeouts per nine, a 75.1% left-on-base rate, and a 6.5% HR/FB ratio. Rodon utilizes a 4-seam fastball and slider combination, which is interesting for a starting pitcher, considering he relies on just two pitches.

With the level of toughness and resilience he brings, the Yankees are extremely high on his services. Injecting him into a rotation that already includes Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino, and Frankie Montas would easily give the Bombers one of the best units in the game.

If owner Hal Steinbrenner wants to keep his promise to Judge that the Yankees will continue adding World Series-caliber pieces to the equation, it is only a matter of time before they sign Rodon and bolster an elite repertoire of starting pitchers.