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The race for Carlos Rodón officially ended earlier when Jon Heyman first reported on Twitter that the Yankees would sign Rodón to a six-year, $162 million contract with a no-trade clause. An average of $27 million a year with no escape clauses.
Transfer market news about Rodón has been circulating for a while, including rumors that the Cardinals, Twins and Rodón’s former club, the Giants, are all potential buyers. But the price Carlos Rodón is asking is not low. Taking advantage of this year’s gold rush in the open market, the goal was extended from the initial five-year target to about six years, averaging $30 million per season. Subsequently, news even spread that Rodón (Boras agency) tried to seek a long-term contract of 7 years.
Perhaps because such a contract length is too risky for Rodón’s past health history, there is no particular club on the market that has shown clear active pursuit of him. Except the New York Yankees. The Yankees’ interest in Carlos Rodón has always been on the table. And even after signing cricket star Aaron Judge at a sky-high fee, various media outlets continue to report that the Yankees still have high availability for Carlos Rodón.
Ultimately, being able to hang on for 6 years and keep the average salary under $30 million is good news from the Yankees’ perspective.
But while that’s already a “relatively cheap” expense, the Yankees’ shooting this winter is still impressive. Aaron Judge’s $40 million U.S. average and Carlos Rodón’s $27 million average in the two giant contracts brought the Yankees’ current team salary to $292 million (according to Fangraphs stats), breaking through the third tax line directly. The fourth line of tax, commonly known as the “Cohen Tax”, is just a step away.
Seeing the Yankees spend so much this winter, one can imagine they must have come under pressure from all sides. While the Yankees have typically remained at the top of the team’s salary list in recent years, their aggressiveness compared to other teams in the league has always been considered “less bloody.” At the same time, the long-term failure to enter the World Series is also regarded by many fans as a failure, requiring the team to find a more competitive lineup.
In addition to calls from fans, many media outlets, including official site reporter Bryan Hoch, have mentioned Aaron Judge’s role in this. In the negotiation process to extend the contract after the season, Aaron Judge is said to have once expressed to the Yankees that he hoped to “see the team progress,” while small owner Hal Steinbrenner assured the team would definitely have room to make other stuff after signing him. reinforcement.
Now it seems that signing Carlos Rodón is the little boss’s way of delivering on his promise.
Of course, the Yankees will still have action going forward. Offseason signings Kahnle, Judge and Rodón have yet to officially make the roster, but there is only one vacancy on the 40-man roster. Subsequent operations are necessary and salary space must also be reserved for mid-season operations.
Aside from the corner of the hat space, left field has been one of the positions the Yankees have been clamoring to improve during the offseason. Compared to the past style of always holding a second hand, this year’s Yankees taking an “if I want it, I’ll take it” route might actually be able to keep hunting.
But whatever the follow-up operation, what is certain is that the Yankees’ starting rotation is star-studded today. The combination of Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino and Frankie Montas has the same cap as other rotations in the league. The starters’ performance last season was already good, and now they are even more threatening after switching to Rodón.
Over the past two years, Carlos Rodón has shown strong pressure and his swing rate and strikeout ability are his defining characteristics. In the last two years, Rodón’s K% has ranked first in the league and, in addition to his low success rate, he is not easy to be bombed. The HR/9 value is just 0.72, ranking fifth in the league for the past two seasons.
In addition to his on-field performance, the Yankees are also said to have fallen in love with Carlos Rodón’s toughness and personality traits, and thought he was quite a fit for the Yankees. And Rodón himself has always considered New York one of his priorities.
Although Carlos Rodón is struggling with health due to a shoulder injury, he is still the youngest and strongest pitching option in free agency this winter. Therefore, achieving this goal is not only a bonus to effective fighting power for the Yankees, but also a statement.
The New York Yankees, who have failed to make the World Series for the past 13 seasons, have cast aside the shackles of the luxury tax and have regained the true colors of an evil empire. This path is what fans are happy to see, and it seems to be the only way to escape the curse of the American crown and reach the championship trophy.
