It is no secret of the New York Yankees have Carlos Rodon on top of their wish list after extending Aaron Judge on a nine-year, $360 million deal. Rodon reportedly prefers to play for the Yankees, but the two sides are far from finalizing a contract, considering his lofty demands. Rodon is looking for a deal in the $200 million range over about seven years. The Yankees would prefer to lessen the years and pay a bit more AAV.
A six-year deal with a club option seems like a more realistic alternative, but if Rodon really wants to pitch in New York, he’ll have to settle for a more reasonable contract, given his longevity issues due to injury.
The Cardinals are also in the bidding, and the Giants, Twins and many other teams have been linked to Rodon, who is easily the top remaining starter on the market.
Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
However, the Bombers have competition for Rodon, notably the Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Francisco Giants.
- Yankees burgeoning ace wins 2024 AL Rookie of the Year award
- Yankees should stay away from Astros star infielder in free agency
- Yankees sign super-utility man to minor league deal
The Yankees are certainly in the drivers seat for Carlos Rodon:
The Giants just landed Carlos Correa on a 13-year deal, so spending even more to retain Rodon seems unlikely. With the Cardinals landing Ross Stripling on a two-year contract, the Twins may view Rodon as a contingency plan to missing out on Correa, who opted out of his three-year contract after the 2022 season concluded.
If it comes down to the Yankees and Twins, Rodon would likely choose New York, given the contracts are similar. Having an opportunity to compete for a World Series while getting paid seems to be the best of both worlds.
Rodon is coming off a season where he pitched a career-high 178 innings, recording a 2.88 ERA, 2.91 xFIP, and 12 strikeouts per nine. There is no doubt he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball, but the Yankees would have to mitigate fatigue down the stretch to ensure his health for the playoffs, in which he barely has any experience.