Giants Baseball Insider

SF Giants "are still pursuing" ace Carlos Rodón after signing Sean Manaea

While the SF Giants now have five starters, the front office is "still pursuing" left-handed pitcher Carlos Rodón, per a report by Susan Slusser.
Marc Delucchi|
SF Giants "are still pursuing" ace Carlos Rodón after signing Sean Manaea
SF Giants "are still pursuing" ace Carlos Rodón after signing Sean Manaea

In this story:

San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants seemed to take themselves out of the starting pitching market on Sunday night when they signed Sean Manaea to a two-year, $25 million contract. However, they remain in the market for free-agent southpaw Carlos Rodón, according to a report by Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle. Rodón ranked eighth in Giants Baseball Insider's free-agent rankings.

"Rodón, an All-Star with San Francisco this year, is looking for at least seven years on a deal that is expected to head over the $100 million mark," Slusser wrote. "The Giants are still in the running for him, but the Yankees have emerged as the frontrunners for the left-hander. Rodón’s decision is anticipated within the next few days."

The Manaea signing gives the Giants a projected 2023 rotation that includes Logan Webb, Alex Cobb, Alex Wood, and Anthony DeSclafani. However, Wood and DeSclafani are both coming off down seasons, and DeSclafani is returning from a severe ankle injury. It's hard to imagine this group of Giants starters replicating the elite performance San Francisco's rotation recorded in 2022.

Rodón, of course, was a huge reason for the success of Giants starters last season. He posted a 2.88 ERA across 178 innings pitched with 237 strikeouts, and finished sixth in National League Cy Young voting. He also recorded double-digit strikeout starts 11 times, which set a new SF Giants franchise record. Needless to say, keeping Rodón in San Francisco would be a massive boon for the rotation.

While the Giants are still involved, Rodón has been the subject of several of the biggest free agent discussions this offseason, with most experts predicting it was unlikely he would re-sign with the team. Slusser herself reported that the New York Yankees remain the favorites to sign Rodón. Moreover, the SF Giants decision to sign Manaea may suggest they remain skeptical that they will re-sign Carlos Rodón.

Published
Marc Delucchi
MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).

Share on XFollow maddelucchi
Home/San Francisco Giants Rumors