Even as he bounced between Chicago and San Francisco over the past two years, Carlos Rodon had not strayed far from the minds of decision makers in The Bronx.
Now they will get to see him pitching every fifth day in pinstripes, after the Yankees and the left-hander came to an agreement on a six-year, $162 million contract on Thursday night.
“He’s been someone that’s been on our radar for a couple years, honestly,” manager Aaron Boone said Friday at a holiday event at Yankee Stadium that gave toys to thousands of local kids. “I think he’s become one of the game’s really great pitchers. The way he’s thrown the last couple years, he’s a top of the rotation guy. Hopefully he continues to realize that potential.
“Obviously we’re talking about a really, really talented guy that’s really started to put it together here these last couple years. Hopefully he can have a big impact on us.”
Rodon, whose deal is pending a physical before it becomes official, will join a rotation alongside Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino and Frankie Montas, making it one of the best starting five in the game, at least on paper.
The Yankees’ rotation last year posted a 3.51 ERA, which was the fourth-lowest mark in the majors. Now they are set to subtract Jameson Taillon and add Rodon, who recorded a 2.67 ERA across 55 starts over the last two seasons with the White Sox and Giants. His 422 strikeouts over 310 ²/₃ innings the past two seasons accounted for 12.23 strikeouts per nine innings, the most of any pitcher with at least 200 innings during that span. Cole was third at 11.78.
“You love the way it looks,” Boone said of his rotation. “It’s got a chance to be really, really special. Lot of talented pitchers. But again, we’re here in December, we gotta go out and do it. But I like potentially where we’re starting from and specifically starting games from.”
The 30-year-old Rodon, two years removed from being non-tendered by the White Sox after an uneven and injury-plagued start to his career, has emerged as one of the game’s better arms over the last two seasons thanks to a change in his mechanics. It has led to better results and, more importantly, much-improved health.
While Rodon’s injuries earlier in his career — which included arthroscopic shoulder surgery in 2017 and Tommy John surgery in 2019 — suggest there is some risk in the Yankees’ investment, they are banking on the last two years being a better indicator of what is to come.
“That’s the challenge of it,” Boone said of evaluating what Rodon will be in the future given his past. “That’s ultimately the job, trying to make those good, solid selections and projections. With a lot of players, you have some kind of reports and history going back years and years and years. You track what guys have done throughout their careers. Different seasons, different injuries, all those things go into making what we hope is a really strong decision.”
Rodon was the second nine-figure deal the Yankees have made this offseason, along with re-signing Aaron Judge to a nine-year, $360 million deal. Adding in Anthony Rizzo (two years, $40 million) and Tommy Kahnle (two years, $11.5 million), managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner has spent a total of $573.5 million this offseason.
“That’s all I know with Hal and the Steinbrenners,” Boone said. “Every winter, we go in and are in play on the best things to try to improve our club to give ourselves a chance to be a champion. That’s what we’re working for. No one embodies that more than at the top, because I know how bad Hal wants that.”