ESPN experts do not expect SF Giants to re-sign Carlos Rodón

ESPN released another batch of free-agent predictions, and none of the MLB experts picked the SF Giants to re-sign Carlos Rodón.

Marc Delucchi | Nov 26, 2022

ESPN experts do not expect SF Giants to re-sign Carlos Rodón /

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants have a big hole in their starting rotation now that left-handed pitcher Carlos Rodón is a free agent. Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has said there is "mutual interest" between Rodón and the team about signing a long-term extension. However, seven MLB experts at ESPN released their latest round of free-agent predictions earlier this week, and none expect the Giants to re-sign Rodón.

SF Giants pitcher Carlos Rodon throws a pitch. (2022) — SF Giants ace Carlos Rodón throws a pitch. (2022) / Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Five of the experts (Buster Olney, Kiley McDaniel, Bradford Doolittle, Alden Gonzalez, and Joon Lee) predicted Rodón will sign a five-year contract with the New York Mets, ranging in value between $130-$150 million. Bradford Doolittle predicted the Orioles will sign Rodón to a five-year, $135 million contract. Jesse Rogers predicted the Rangers will sign Rodón to a five-year, $132 million deal. While each expert added a paragraph about why they chose the team they did, none even mentioned the Giants in those writeups.

Despite Zaidi's comments earlier this offseason, there is reason to be skeptical that the Giants will re-sign Rodón. The Giants have not made an effort to sign several comparable free agents in recent years, including Kevin Gausman, who had a breakout season in San Francisco and signed a five-year, $110 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays last winter.

Rodón had a record-setting season with the Giants in 2022. He finished the year with 237 strikeouts in 188 innings pitched and an excellent 2.88 ERA. He received an All-Star selection for the second consecutive season and finished sixth in National League Cy Young voting. Unsurprisingly, the lefty opted out of his contract for 2023 to pursue a massive deal in free agency.

Since the Giants made Rodón a qualifying offer, they will receive draft pick compensation if he signs with another team. They would add a competitive round B (slots between rounds two and three) selection in the 2023 MLB Draft. While that pick would not replace Rodón, it would give the Giants a little more ammo to strengthen the farm system next season.

Whether or not the Giants are able to re-sign Rodón or not, Zaidi has said the team will add at least one starting pitcher this offseason. Perhaps they intend to make a run at Kodai Senga, who they recently hosted at Oracle Park. Either way, it seems that industry consensus is growing that Carlos Rodón will not be pitching for the SF Giants next season.

Published Nov 26, 2022

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).