The New York Yankees and Carlos Rodon came to terms on a 6-year, $162 million dollar contract in MLB free agency on Thursday. The deal gives the Yankees an intriguing pitching staff led by Rodon, Gerrit Cole, and Nestor Cortes. But did the Yankees make the correct decision by paying Carlos Cordon $162 million over a 6-year span?
Here is our official grade for the Yankees' Carlos Rodon deal.
Carlos Rodon
Carlos Rodon has been in the big leagues since 2015. After pitching to the tune of a respectable 3.75 ERA in his rookie campaign with the Chicago White Sox, he posted an ERA of over 4 in 2016. Rodon would go on to face injury concerns and overall underperformance issues from 2017-2020.
And then 2021 happened.
Carlos Rodon, in his walk season, figured everything out for the White Sox during the 2021 campaign. The left-hander finished with a sparkling 2.37 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. He struck out 185 hitters in just 132.2 innings pitched for Chicago as well. Rodon's superb effort led to an All-Star selection. Additionally, he finished 5th in AL Cy Young voting.
Due to the MLB lockout, Carlos Rodon did not receive an offer he was looking for during the 2021 offseason. He wound up signing a short-term contract with the San Francisco Giants. Following another strong season, where he was named an All-Star once agin and posted a 2.88 ERA, Rodon exercised his opt out clause and hit free agency.
And he ultimately agreed to terms with the Yankees.
New York is taking a chance on him despite his previous injury concerns. But it is difficult to refute the fact that he's been arguably the best left-handed pitcher in baseball over the past two seasons.
The Yankees
The Yankees' pitching rotation has been effective over the past few years. Gerrit Cole is an ace in every sense of the word while the emergence of Nestor Cortes has been fascinating to witness. The Yankees depth chart had Cole, Cortes, Frankie Montas, and Luis Severino penciled in as 4 of their starters. The 5th spot was projected to be a battle between Domingo German and Clarke Schmidt, however, the Carlos Rodon addition provides New York with an eye-opening upgrade.
The Yankees have never been afraid to spend loads of money in free agency. But in recent years, Brian Cashman has displayed hesitancy in inking big names on the open market. But they are clearly back to their big-spending ways as evidenced by Carlos Rodon and Aaron Judge's massive contracts.
This is a Yankees' organization that prides themselves on World Series championships. But they have not won a Fall Classic since 2009, which feels like an eternity for the Yankees. As a result, they are doing everything necessary to build a true contender.
Grading the Yankees' Carlos Rodon contract
This is a quality deal on the surface. Carlos Rodon's injury-plagued past is a bit concerning, but he's been able to consistenly remain on the field over the past two years. Is there risk involved? Absolutely.
But the Yankees play in a massive media market and cannot be afraid to take chances on superstars. And Carlos Rodon has emerged as an extraordinary talent on the mound in recent years. At just 30-years old, he should be able to perform at a high level for years to come in New York.
He is going to play a pivotal role in the Yankees' pursuit of championships over the next six seasons.
Final grade: A
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