Have the Bronx Bombers Fixed Their Pitching Woes with Rodón Signing?
Southpaw starter, Carlos Rodón, has just signed a six-year, $162 million contract with the New York Yankees. The Yankees have added the two-time All-Star to their roster after another unsuccessful postseason run to add more depth to their starting rotation. Rodón’s contract also includes a full no-trade clause.
Rodón opted out of his final year of a two-year contract with the San Francisco Giants to become a free agent at the beginning of this offseason. Finishing fifth in the American League Cy Young race, Rodón has continued to stay hot over the past two campaigns, with a 2.67 ERA and a 2.42 FIP over 310 ⅔ innings between the Giants and the Chicago White Sox, making him a hot contender in the free agent market.
The Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins, and Texas Rangers previously showed interest in the 30-year-old before the Yankees came to an agreement. Rodón will be part of the Yankees’ starting rotation which already consists of five-time All-Star Gerrit Cole and breakout star Nestor Cortes, who exited last year early with a groin injury.
The Yankees had a combined 3.28 ERA during the 2022 season, putting them fifth-best in all Major League Baseball. The Yankees' pitching fell through in the postseason, though, as starting pitcher Luis Severino held a 6.75 ERA in 1.1 innings pitched, and Cole held a 4.50 ERA in 2.0 IP.
It has been a common theme for the Yankees to have to address the problem of pitching depth during the off-season for the past few years now. In the past 13 seasons, the Yankees have not reached the final round of postseason playoffs since they last won the World Series in 2009. The closest the Bronx Bombers have been to reaching the World Series was in the 2017 ALCS, where the Yankees blew a 3-2 lead heading into game six of the series against the Houston Astros.
The Yankees once relied heavily on closer Aroldis Chapman, who stunned the league by whipping 100+ mph fastballs left and right to secure a win for the Yankees. Chapman no longer holds an edge above other pitchers, though, as, in recent years, he has become inconsistent with his fastballs. More and more young stars coming into the league now easily surpass the 100 mph fastball that the league once admired.
The Yankees have also struggled with their starting rotation, as injuries have plagued the team heavily. Adding Rodón into the mix is the glimpse of hope Yankees fans hope turns out to be worthwhile heading into the new year.