Where Yankees Stand in Carlos Rodón Sweepstakes
Free agent left-hander Carlos Rodón views the Yankees as his preferred destination, but the southpaw has plenty of contenders to choose from.
According to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, New York is the team Rodón prefers to sign with, but other clubs like the Twins and Cardinals are "seriously in play."
Those aren't the only teams that are interested in Rodón, who has been an All-Star in each of the last two seasons. Jon Heyman of the New York Post recently reported that the Yankees will be competing with six-plus teams on the open market.
As much as it looked like the Giants were moving on to other pitchers, signing starters Sean Manaea and Ross Stripling over the last few days, San Francisco is still looking to retain Rodón as well, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Heyman added on Monday that the Yankees are preparing to make a formal offer to Rodón early this week with the lefty seeking a seven-plus year deal worth more than $200 million.
New York is absolutely interested in bolstering their rotation. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman alluded to that several times during the Winter Meetings last week. Whether they'd be willing to add Rodón to their payroll after re-signing Aaron Judge to a $360 million contract remains to be seen, though.
The Yankees are shedding some money this winter. Jameson Taillon departed in free agency while relievers like Aroldis Chapman, Chad Green and Zack Britton are poised to sign elsewhere as well. A trade could be on the horizon, too. New York would love to get rid of Josh Donaldson and Aaron Hicks (and their contracts) this winter and could move an infielder to make room for their up-and-coming prospects.
If the Yankees choose not to seal the deal with Rodón, they won't be able to add an ace-caliber starter in free agency this offseason. Justin Verlander and Jacob deGrom are no longer available and the market for starting pitching is rapidly decreasing.
It isn't hard to envision how good of a fit Rodón would be in a Yankees uniform. Adding the lefty to a rotation that already includes Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino and Frankie Montas has the potential to be dominant in 2023, a staff with immense potential.
Adding Rodón would make Montas the No. 5 starter in New York's rotation. The right-hander's first impression with the Yankees after the trade deadline couldn't have been worse—Montas had a 6.35 ERA before landing on the injured list—but he has the track record and potential to be a top-of-the-rotation starter.
That means all five members of the staff would have the ability to produce at a high level, something that only a select few teams in baseball can say.
The alternative would be for New York to roll with their internal options at No. 5—Clarke Schmidt and Domingo Germán—or sign a pitcher that can eat innings, providing depth at the bottom of the rotation. Plenty of veterans like Noah Syndergaard, Michael Wacha, Drew Smyly and more are still available.
For what it's worth, New York is "fairly optimistic" about their chances with Rodón, per Heyman. If the interest is truly mutual, this will probably come down to the Yankees' willingness to raise their offer.
MORE:
- Yankees Showing Trade Interest in These Diamondbacks Outfielders
- Yankees Competing With These Teams For Carlos Rodón in Free Agency
- This Should Be the Yankees' Biggest Priority After Signing Aaron Judge at Winter Meetings
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