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The New York Yankees checked the biggest item off of their Christmas wish list when they brought back Aaron Judge, but the franchise has zeroed in on ace starting pitcher Carlos Rodon as their next target in MLB free agency.
And it's not hard to see why. Judge made it clear when he agreed to return to the Bronx that he wanted to see some improvements made to a roster that was once again not good enough to slay the seemingly unbeatable dragon, the Houston Astros, who went on to win the World Series after sweeping the Yankees.
The Yankees need to get better. Carlos Rodon is the best available pitcher left for the signing. It seems like an obvious move for the club to make.
And yet, Rodon's injury history is littered with red flags, as he's battled shoulder and elbow injuries.
Is that concerning? You bet.
But here's why it shouldn't deter the Yankees from pursuing the left-handed ace.
Here's why the Yankees must break the bank for Carlos Rodon.
3. Carlos Rodon Gives Yankees Legit No. 2 Starter
The Yankees figured that signing Gerrit Cole would give them a leg-up over nearly every team in the American League, as few teams can say they have an ace capable of putting together the starts that he does.
That has been true- to an extent.
But where the Yankees have really lacked is the starter directly behind Cole. They haven't been able to have a consistent number-two starter behind him since he arrived in New York.
Luis Severino was supposed to be that guy, but injuries have put his ascent to the no. 2 spot in the rotation on hold, though he looked mighty good in his return from to good health this past season.
Nestor Cortes was one of the better pitchers in baseball, but no one would mistake him for an ace- and it's no disrespect to him.
Everyone in baseball knows who Carlos Rodon is, though.
The former third overall pick in the MLB draft has emerged as one of the best starters in baseball over the past few seasons.
Rodon had the best season of his career in 2022, pitching to a 2.88 ERA over a career-high 178 innings while fanning 237 batters.
The big left-hander has ace-like stuff, posting Gerrit Cole-like strikeout rates above 30 percent in each of the lasty two years.
If wondering how dominant Rodon can be on the mound, look no further than a May 21 start at Yankee Stadum back in 2021. The two-time MLB All-Star went six innings, allowing two hits, no walks and no runs while striking out 13 Yankees.
He was clearly unbothered by pitching at Yankee Stadium, nor was he sweating a stacked Yankees lineup.
Carlos Rodon is a top-tier pitcher, one who can quickly turn a postseason series in the Yankees' favor pitching right behind Gerrit Cole.
That's certainly worth paying up for.
2. He Can Help Solve The Yankees' Astros Problem
The Yankees have been stumped by a simple math problem lately. Step 1: Make the playoffs. Step 2: Play the Astros. Step 3: Eliminated from the playoffs.
It's been their inability to solve for x, or step no. 2, that has doomed them as of late. Four times in the last seven years, to be exact, but who's counting?
Such a trend, punctuated by an embarrassing sweep by the Astros, seemingly was enough to finally get the Yankees attention that the status quo just hasn't been good enough.
Just making it to the crapshoot of the postseason and winning the same number of games as the Astros and stealing away the Astros ace and so on and so forth. Not enough.
If the Yankees are going to beat the Astros, they don't just need more firepower. They need to get smarter about who they bring in.
Carlos Rodon is that smarter firepower.
Rodon doesn't just have good numbers for his career. He has excellent numbers against the Astros.
In seven career starts against Houston, Rodon owns a 1.55 ERA with two wins and a 44:12 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Rodon has the Astros' number just as they have a vice grip on the Yankees'.
This is a guy who can come to New York and make a noticeable difference against the team's biggest nemesis.
This is a guy who could help solve the Yankees' Astros problem.
1. Carlos Rodon Won't Be Fazed By New York
Rodon hasn't been fazed by New York. In one start at Citi Field, he pitched five innings and didn't allow a run, earning a win.
In four starts at Yankee Stadium, he has allowed just six runs in 25 innings, winning three of those games.
But this goes beyond just numbers.
Carlos Rodon has the makeup to succeed in New York.
His one-game-at-a-time, business-as-usual press conferences are enough to make every journalism major at every university rethink their careers for a more exciting venture.
But that's the exact type of makeup that succeeds in New York.
Rodon will pitch well, say the right things and then go home to his family. And if he pitches well- and why wouldn't he- New York will love him.
More importantly, Yankees fans will love him.
