Some of his teammates will be playing their first year in The Bronx and others will be playing their final year before free agency.
But none of them may be facing quite the amount of pressure as Carlos Rodon.
Around this time last year, the Yankees were optimistic the newly signed Rodon would serve as a strong No. 2 to Gerrit Cole after inking a six-year, $162 million contract.
Instead, the first year of the pact was a nightmare in almost every way, both for the Yankees and Rodon, who did not take the rough season lightly.
Now, as the Yankees try to go all in to chase a championship in their only guaranteed season with Juan Soto, they need Rodon even more to be the pitcher they thought they were signing.
“Rodon in Year 2 we expect to be, obviously, hopefully, Rodon like we imported,” GM Brian Cashman said last month at the winter meetings.
It’s certainly possible that, even if Rodon had pitched up to his potential in 2023, the Yankees still would have been in the market for another top starter this offseason to fill the hole left by Michael King going to the Padres in the Soto blockbuster.
But in the wake of the Yankees missing out on Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who went to the Dodgers, and eventually pivoting to Marcus Stroman on Thursday, the weight on Rodon’s shoulders to get back on track in 2024 became even heavier.
Of the four starters behind Cole in the Yankees’ current rotation, Rodon has the highest ceiling.
He showed it in 2021 and 2022, when he combined to record a 2.67 ERA with 422 strikeouts across 310 ²/₃ innings and 55 starts, which earned him the big contract from the Yankees.
But Rodon got off on the wrong foot, making just one start in spring training before the injury issues, which had gotten in his way too often before 2021, popped back up.
He was diagnosed with a forearm muscle strain, then dealt with back issues that delayed his Yankees debut until July, and later had another injured list stint for a hamstring strain.
Even when Rodon was active, there was plenty of rough sailing.
He finished the season with a 6.85 ERA in 14 starts — capped off by a brutal finale against the Royals in which he gave up eight runs, did not record an out and turned his back on pitching coach Matt Blake during a mound visit.
There is plenty of pressure that comes just with signing the kind of contract Rodon did
And though he embraced it and refused to shy away from the high expectations or his struggles, the first year in a new organization always presents challenges on and off the field.
It stands to reason that there should be a greater level of comfort for Rodon and the Yankees in Year 2, which they are hoping turns into better results.
“Obviously, last year did not go the way he wanted or any of us wanted it to,” manager Aaron Boone said at the winter meetings. “But at the same time, it can also be one of those sobering reminders of how difficult and challenging this game can be, and how important obviously health is. But hopefully, it’s one of those things that just refocuses you that much more to make sure you’re in a great position.
“The best thing I can say about Carlos is he’s got a lot of ability, and that hasn’t gone away. It’s just making sure he’s in the best position to get it out. That’s what we’re all on board with helping him do.”
With so much of Rodon’s success on the mound tied to the consistency of his delivery, the Yankees were banking on him using the offseason to get right physically to put himself in a better position when he arrives at spring training next month.
“Making sure that his workout regimen, his throwing program and his buildup is all air-tight,” Boone said, “and making sure he is in the best position so when he gets into spring training that he’s coming in with a great foundation.”
Leave a Reply