NEW YORK– Rodón to the Bronx. According to multiple reports, the New York Yankees and left-hander Carlos Rodón have agreed to terms on a six-year contract totaling $162 million included with a full no-trade clause. The final ace remaining on the free-agent market comes off the board, earning an annual average value (AAV) of $27 million running from 2023-2028.
Entering 2023, the Yankees projected starting rotation makes for one of the best and deepest in all of baseball, surrounded by Gerrit Cole, Rodón, Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino, and Frankie Montas.
Regardless of current projections, two questions now come to light. Who is Rodón, and how did the Yankees improve with this signing?
Standing at 6-3, 245 pounds, of Cuban heritage, Rodón was born in Miami, Florida, then moved just outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, around the age of eight-nine years old.
“I’m happy and very proud to represent my heritage and culture,” he said to Latino Sports. “Born in the United States, my dad being from Cuba and coming to this country has given us a great opportunity.”
Fast forward to his teens, Rodón prospered, showcasing lethal pitching dynamics at Holly Springs High School, committing to play baseball at North Carolina State University, where he became close friends and later dorm roommates with Trea Turner — the newest $300 million shortstop for the 2022 National League Pennant winner Philadelphia Phillies.
99 MPH heat on the 112th pitch for the complete game.
Have a day, @Carlos_Rodon55.
(MLB x @CueHealth) pic.twitter.com/srDLBzgD59
— MLB (@MLB) July 10, 2022
Where we are today, he’s 30-years-old with a winning, competitive attitude, dependent on a fierce arsenal — a four-seam fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup. Since the start of 2021, Rodóns’ aced himself into becoming one of the most effective arms across the game, recording a 2.67 ERA (5th in MLB) with a 12.2 K/9 (1st in MLB) across 55 outings.
“A bulldog top of the rotation starter that misses bats, that desperately wants to win, that cares about his teammates,” said Gabe Kapler on Rodón, his former manager and current skipper of the San Francisco Giants. “Just like an excellent top of the league number one starter.”
“He’s really good,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone recently said. “Really good.”
Along the road to a hefty payday, carrying splendid statistics, Rodón earned the honor of being named a recipient of the 2021 American League LatinoMVP Starting Pitcher Award for his season with the Chicago White Sox.
Though he was overlooked in the annual BBWAA voting for Cy Young, posting a 13-5 record, 2.37 ERA with 185 strikeouts across 24 starts in 2021, he took home the most prestigious and oldest award given to Latin players since 1990 — the LatinoMVP.
Carlos Rodón receives his 2021 AL LatinoMVP pitcher award for 2021 from Latino Sports President, Julio Pabón. (Photo Courtesy SF Giants)
As Latino Sports Founder Julio Pabón presented him with the coveted award, many call a ‘Latin Grammy’, during an on-the-field pregame ceremony — Rodón revealed his thoughts on today’s current state of the sport regarding Latino talent.
“It’s so cool to know that we have so many Latinos that are superstars that have that ‘swagger’. You can see that they are making the game exciting; you can see they’re taking over.”
One individual who carries that ‘swagger’ is his new teammate, and strikeout partner, Nestor Cortes, a Cuban-American, who was born in Surgidero de Batabano, Cuba, then moved to Hialeah, Florida at a young age. The duo combined for 400 strikeouts last season with 26 wins.
Nonetheless, the main concern in a move for Rodón was durability and longevity. He missed a proportional amount of starts from 2017-2018 due to left-shoulder surgery as well as only appearing in 11 games during the 2019 and 2020 seasons because of Tommy John surgery.
A dozen Ks for @Carlos_Rodon55! pic.twitter.com/SOwdYsCL7l
— MLB (@MLB) May 10, 2022
With many franchises showing interest, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals, the Bronx Bombers swung for the fences on a six-year-deal solidifying their rotation.
And in pinstripe fashion, Rodón fits the recipe for what Yankees faithful seek out of a $162 million pitcher. A passionate competitor, working towards the ultimate goal: delivering a World Series title back to the Bronx.
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Robert Rizzo writes for Latino Sports
Follow on Twitter: @RobertRiz994
Email: RobertRiz994@gmail.com
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Julio
December 17, 2022 at 10:55 am
Great article on Rodón, his history, trajectory & welcoming him to the Bx.
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