Carlos Rodon is arguably the best starting pitcher in free agency not named Jacob deGrom. The left-hander holds no shortage of value and is just 29-years old. After battling injuries early in his career, Rodon broke out with the Chicago White Sox in 2021. He followed up his strong 2021 performance with another All-Star caliber season in 2022 with the San Francisco Giants. And now he's set to earn a massive payday as a free agent.
In all reality, Carlos Rodon is the perfect fit for a number of teams. He profiles as a high end No. 2 option for some clubs, but would slide in as an ace for others. Regardless, Rodon will receive plenty of interest on the open market. Without further ado, let's take a look at the 3 best free agency fits for Carlos Rodon.
Carlos Rodon's return to the Bay
A return to the Giants in San Francisco could make sense for Carlos Rodon. The Giants extended a qualifying offer which he will turn down. However, San Francisco could sign him. Farhan Zaidi recently said that no free agent is too expensive for the Giants this offseason. If San Francisco's goal is to contend in 2023, that alone could entice Rodon to re-sign with the Giants.
Aaron Judge is expected to be the Giants' top priority on the open market. Additionally, San Francisco may opt to sign one of the top 4 shortstops in free agency. However, they will surely address the starting rotation as well. The prospect of pairing Carlos Rodon alongside Logan Webb for years to come should appeal to the team.
Blue Jays need pitching
The Toronto Blue Jays were excited for the 2022 season for a number of reasons. Sure, their offense was impressive, but they felt as if their pitching was going to lead them to a World Series championship. However, Jose Berrios, Hyun-jin Ryu, and Yusei Kikuchi all dealt with a mixture of injuries and underperformance. Kevin Gausman and Alek Manoah pitched well, but Toronto would benefit from adding a starting pitcher like Carlos Rodon ahead of the 2023 campaign.
For Rodon, it would certainly be a change of pace. He's previously pitched in Chicago and San Francisco, so he would need some time to adjust to the powerful AL East. Nevertheless, the Blue Jays are a competitive ball club. Rodon may take one look at their stacked lineup and decide to join the team with aspirations of tremendous run support.
This fit makes sense for both sides. It will be interesting to see if anything comes to fruition between Carlos Rodon and the Blue Jays.
Replacing deGrom
If Jacob deGrom leaves the Mets, New York could find themselves in the hunt for a starting pitching replacement. Carlos Rodon may fit the bill for New York as they look to spend money on talent in free agency.
Rodon would provide the Mets with an ace-caliber pitcher alongside Max Scherzer atop the rotation. In the long run, it could workout just as well as signing deGrom given the fact that Rodon is just 29 and deGrom will turn 35 next year.
In the end, the Mets would obviously prefer to re-sign their longtime ace in Jacob deGrom. But Carlos Rodon certainly is not a bad alternative.
Carlos Rodon has reportedly drawn interest from 18 teams in free agency, per Sports Illustrated. He will have no shortage of options to choose from this offseason.
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