Inside The Pinstripes

MLB Insider: Yankees Requested Medicals For These 3 Free Agents Before Lockout

The Yankees reportedly inquired about Carlos Correa, Carlos Rodón and Yusei Kikuchi's medicals prior to the lockout.

Pat Ragazzo

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As MLB and MLBPA continue to try to hammer out a new collective bargaining agreement in order to end the lockout and get back to business, there was some rare baseball transaction news that emerged on Wednesday.

According to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, the Yankees requested and received medicals for free agents Carlos Correa, Carlos Rodón and Yusei Kikuchi prior to the lockout.

The Yankees are in need of a shortstop this offseason, but Correa is expected to receive a nine-figure contract in free agency. General manager Brian Cashman is more likely to go the route of adding a stopgap option at the position until top prospects Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza are ready for the big-leagues.

However, the Yankees certainly appear to be interested in Correa and should at least do their due diligence on him, whether they are realistically willing to dish out a massive deal for him or not. Aaron Judge is up for an extension as he enters his final year of arbitration, which could also nix the club’s ability to splurge on Correa.

As for adding to their rotation, Rodón has a ton of upside as a left-handed starter, making the All-Star team last season and tossing a no-hitter in April. But there are some whispers that teams are concerned about the 29-year-old’s medicals as a result of previous shoulder issues. It remains to be seen whether the Yankees, who received his medicals before the lockout, fall under this category.

Fellow southpaw starter, Kikuchi, received the first All-Star nod of his career in 2021 as well, but struggled mightily in the second half of the season. Regardless, the lefty throws in the upper-90s, which has drawn interest from a number of teams, including the crosstown rival Mets.

Once the work stoppage concludes, the flood gates will spring open as a result of a three month-plus freeze on transactions, which has left over a hundred players unsigned. In the very least, it was a wise tactic by the Yankees to familiarize themselves with the medicals of this trio to eliminate any uncertainty should they pursue one or more of these players after the lockout. Time will tell which direction Cashman and co. decide to go in order to improve the Yankees’ roster. 

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Pat Ragazzo
PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the reporter, publisher, site manager and executive editor for Sports Illustrated's Mets and Yankees On SI websites. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has been seen on several major TV Network stations including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is frequently heard on ESPN New York FM 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM as a guest. Pat also serves as the Mets insider for the "Allow Me 2 Be Frank" podcast hosted by Frank "The Tank" Fleming of Barstool Sports. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @ragazzoreport.

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