OPINION: Carlos Rodon Signing Makes New York Yankees' Pitching Rotation Elite

The New York Yankees greatly enhanced their pitching rotation Thursday by signing Carlos Rodon to a six-year, $162 million contract. With Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Rodon, Frankie Montas, Domingo German and Luis Severino, the Yankees now have one of the best pitching rotations in baseball, Jack Vita writes.

The New York Yankees added a big time arm Thursday evening, agreeing to terms with free agent starting pitcher Carlos Rodon on a six-year, $162 million contract.

The Yankees will return five starting pitchers from a season ago, and essentially replace Jameson Taillon with Rodon.

In his two years with the Yankees, Taillon was an average starting pitcher. He logged a 4.08 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 100 ERA park-adjusted ERA+. A 100 ERA+ is league average. Last week, the Chicago Cubs agreed to terms with Taillon on a four-year, $68 million contract.

The Yankees added Rodon, who should slot in as the club's no. 2 starting pitcher behind ace Gerrit Cole.

Rodon, over the last two seasons, has pitched like a true ace. After being non-tendered by the Chicago White Sox following the 2020 season, Rodon suddenly turned a corner in 2021. Over the last two seasons, pitching for the White Sox and San Francisco Giants, Rodon has a cumulative 2.67 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 157 ERA+. He finished fifth in American League Cy Young Award voting in 2021 and sixth in National League Cy Young Award voting in 2022. Rodon, who just turned 30 earlier this week, appears to be entering his prime, as a late bloomer. The former third overall pick of the 2014 Major League Baseball Draft has quickly emerged as one of baseball's best pitchers.

Insert Rodon in place of Jameson Taillon, who was saddled with the loss in Game 2 of the American League Division Series at home versus the Cleveland Guardians. Instead of pitching Taillon on full-rest, Aaron Boone opted to give the ball to Nestor Cortes on three-days rest in a critical elimination game in Game 4 of the ALDS.

Rodon has limited postseason experience. He failed to record an out in the White Sox' Game 3 loss in the 2020 American League Wild Card Series to the Oakland Athletics, a game in which he started. The Houston Astros chased Rodon out of Game 4 of the American League Division Series in 2021 early, as the lefty allowed two earned runs off three hits and two walks in the White Sox' 10-1 loss.

Rodon isn't a guaranteed slam dunk when it comes to postseason performance, albeit a limited sample size. Realistically, we haven't seen enough to from him in October to come to a fair conclusion.

However, if Rodon continues on his current trajectory, the Yankees just added a top-10 pitcher in the American League.

Behind Cole and Rodon, the Yankees have Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino, Domingo German and Frankie Montas.

Cortes broke out in 2022, receiving a nod to the All-Star Game and finishing eighth in American League Cy Young voting. Severino and German both were very effective when healthy in 2022, as well.

The Yankees acquired Frankie Montas from the A's in a trade prior to the deadline. Montas made just eight starts for the Yankees, before being shutdown for season-ending shoulder surgery. The Yankees would love for Montas to bounce back in 2023, once he recovers, and return to form. In 2021, as a member of the A's, Montas finished sixth in AL Cy Young voting.

The Yankees acquired Montas in hopes of the 29-year-old being the club's second or third starter behind Cole (and Cortes). The Rodon addition takes the pressure off of Montas to be that guy when he returns. Cole, Rodon and Cortes should be the club's top three in the rotation. At this point, Montas is a luxury at the back-end of the rotation, with a high ceiling.

The Yankees rotation may not be the very best in the American League in 2023. The Houston Astros, Cleveland Guardians, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners will all be vying for that title. But the Yankees will be in the conversation, and now have a rotation that is capable of going toe-to-toe with just about any other pitching staff in the big leagues.

Here's a look at the Yankees' 2023 projected pitching rotation.

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