Former White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodón has secured the mega-contract he was seeking this offseason.
According to multiple reports, the veteran southpaw is heading to the New York Yankees on a six-year, $162 million deal. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman, who originally broke the news, has also revealed that Rodón will receive a full no-trade clause.
Rodón picked up where he left off after his solid 2021 season in Chicago and did so in dominating fashion with San Francisco. The 29-year-old, who signed a two-year deal worth up to $44 million, went 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA (57 ER/178.0 IP) and led the majors with a 2.25 FIP. He finished second in the National League with 237 strikeouts and hit double-digits 11 times, a Giants’ franchise record. Perhaps most importantly, he made a career-high 31 starts to go along with his new record in innings pitched, putting to rest any concerns about his health.
During his White Sox tenure, Rodón showed flashes of the pitcher everyone knew he could be but wasn’t able to harness it consistently until the end. Countless injuries coupled with struggles when healthy summed up much of his career, as he made just 43 appearances with a 4.45 ERA from 2017-20.
Things eventually clicked and the lefty turned heads with his breakout 2021 campaign. He went 13-5 with a 2.37 ERA (35 ER/132.2 IP), 185 strikeouts, 36 walks, 2.65 FIP, and 0.957 WHIP. Impressive numbers aside, Rodón’s season was highlighted by his April 14th no-hitter against Cleveland, first-ever All-Star appearance in July, and a fifth-place finish in the Cy Young voting at the year’s end.
Following the season, the White Sox opted against giving him an $18.4 million qualifying offer in a questionable decision. This led to further speculation about Rodon’s health as the veteran pitcher dealt with shoulder fatigue late in the year. However, the Scott Boras client proved to show no issues this past season, threw the minimum 110 innings by late July to activate his opt-out in early November, and has certainly reaped the rewards.
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What an amazing career turn-around for young Rodon. Rejected by the White Sox, paid handsomely by San Francisco and now front line starter for the Bronx Bombers. Truly, I am happy for him.