What Signing Carlos Rodón Means For Yankees' Starting Rotation

New York added another ace to their starting staff in free agency, strengthening their depth while bolstering a unit that hasn't been able to get past the Astros in recent years.

After signing left-hander Carlos Rodón on Thursday night, the Yankees will enter the 2023 season with arguably the best starting rotation in all of Major League Baseball.

It wasn't cheap—Rodón agreed to a six-year, $162 million deal to don pinstripes through his age-35 season—but New York showed a willingness to invest in one of their greatest strengths and make it even better. 

It's easy to say Rodón is a perfect fit with the Yankees because he would've been a tremendous addition for any team this offseason. That's why countless contenders showed interest in the southpaw before New York was able to seal the deal. 

Rodón, 30, posted a 2.88 ERA with the Giants in 2022, finishing sixth in the NL Cy Young Award race while earning a trip to the All-Star Game for the second year in a row. He flashed impressive durability this year (pitching a career-high 178 innings), silencing some concerns over his injury history while demonstrating just how dangerous he can be with his overpowering fastball-slider mix. 

Still, the addition of Rodón is especially exciting for the Yankees when you consider his skillset, his numbers against one of New York's biggest rivals and how he impacts the rest of New York's staff. 

Another Ace in Pinstripes

Rodón is poised to slide in behind Gerrit Cole in the No. 2 spot of New York's rotation this spring, giving the Yankees a dominant one-two punch for years to come.

Cole is coming off a historic campaign, setting the new franchise record with 257 strikeouts in 2022. Rodón struck out 237 batters in 2022, leading the league with a 12 strikeout-per-nine ratio. 

As much as Rodón hasn't pitched too much in the postseason—only two quick appearances with the White Sox—the lefty absolutely has what it takes to be a top-10 starter in all of baseball. 

If those two arms are healthy and at their best when it matters most, the Yankees have positioned themselves to set the tone against any team in a postseason series, leaning on two former top draft picks and highly-touted prospects thriving in the primes of their careers

The #Yankees already had one of the best starting rotations in MLB. New York's SPs had a 3.51 ERA in 2022, fourth-best in baseball.

They just added another ace to that group by signing Carlos Rodón. Not sure if there's another team with a better (or deeper) five-man staff...

— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) December 16, 2022

It's worth noting that while Cole struggled mightily with the home run ball this year, Rodón kept the ball in the yard. The southpaw allowed just 12 homers in 2022, four over his first 18 starts. Yes, that's in a full season in San Francisco. He'll need to acclimate himself with the short porch in the Bronx and other parks in the American League East. Nonetheless, Rodón makes hitters uncomfortable with his powerful arsenal and has an ace-like presence on the mound, the energy and stuff that's poised to instantly take this rotation over the top.

New No. 2 Means More Depth

After those two aces, the Yankees have Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino and Frankie Montas to round out their rotation. 

That's a funky lefty who was an All-Star in 2022, a dynamic righty (when healthy) that has been an ace and Cy Young contender in pinstripes before along with a right-hander that has plenty of upside, hungry to bounce back from a disappointing debut after last year's trade deadline.

On paper, Rodón replaces Jameson Taillon, the veteran right-hander that departed this winter in free agency. That's quite an upgrade, pushing those three aforementioned arms down in the rotation rather than moving them up, filling Taillon's shoes with a new No. 5 starter.

Signing Rodón also gives the Yankees some internal depth and flexibility. Rather than using righties Clarke Schmidt and Domingo Germán in the rotation to begin the year, New York can either deploy them in the bullpen as a source of length, stow them away until an injury (Schmidt has one option remaining) or use them as trade bait, addressing another aspect of their roster with their surplus of capable starters. 

Remember, as good as this rotation appears to be right now, Cole is the only starter on that list that has pitched 200 innings in a single season. Cortes and Rodón reached uncharted territory in 2022 with their workload, Montas has made 32 starts once in his career and is coming off a season littered with shoulder discomfort while Severino hasn't pitched more than 102 frames since 2018.

As Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said at the Winter Meetings earlier this month, you can never have enough pitching. 

Carlos Rodón at Yankee Stadium in his career:

4 GS, 3-0, 2.16 ERA, 24 K in 25 IP

Carlos Rodón vs. Astros in his career:

7 GS, 2-0, 1.55 ERA, 44 K in 46.1 IP

— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) December 16, 2022

Rodón Has Had Houston's Number

Rodón's numbers against the Astros are spectacular. 

Over seven starts against Houston in his career, the lefty is 2-0 with a 1.55 ERA, striking out 44 batters in 46.1 innings. In 2021, his final season with Chicago, Rodón allowed one earned run in two starts (14 total innings) against the Astros. He's gotten even better since then. 

Of course, those numbers mean nothing when Rodón inevitably takes the mound in an important game against the Astros down the road—possibly with New York's season on the line in the playoffs—but a familiarity with Houston's high-octane lineup can't hurt.

Further, by adding another top starter to trust against a team like the Astros, New York can now transition their focus to addressing offensive needs for the rest of this offseason. That's the part of their roster that vanished down the stretch, specifically against Houston when they got swept in the American League Championship Series.

MORE:

• Yankees Sign Carlos Rodón to Six-Year Deal in Free Agency
• Yankees Prepared New Mets RP David Robertson For Success
• Yankees Add 2 Pitchers on MiLB Deals, Including a Bronx Talent

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