Cashman got duped and overpaid AGAIN!!!!
There is no other way to put it, Brian Cashman got duped! Yes, he fell for the oldest trick in the book, courtesy of Carlos Rodón. Before joining the Yankees in 2023, Rodón played in the Major Leagues for 8 years, playing for the White Sox and a one-year stint for the Giants. Carlos was a below-average, very inconsistent pitcher for the first 6 years in the South Side of Chicago, pitching with an ERA in the range of 3.75 to 8.22. To his credit, Rodón pulled off two great seasons, one with the White Sox pitching a 2.37 ERA and one with the Giants pitching a 2.88 ERA.
With two consecutive all-star seasons, Rodón denied his second-year option with San Fransisco and hit the open market just in time for the Yankees to completely ignore any performance he had before 2021 and sign him to a MASSIVE $162 million fully guaranteed 6-year deal........
For that amount of money, the Yankees and all of New York went into 2023 with the expectations he would be one of the best pitchers in the league and be a premier 1-2 punch with Cole at the top of the rotation. If you didn't pay attention last season, I'll fill you in..... HE SUCKED! BLEW CHUNKS! TOOK A BIG S@#T RIGHT ON THE MOUND!
Rodón was injured for over half the year, dealing with a hamstring strain and back issues, and then when he was healthy on the mound, he put up a 6.85 ERA, allowed 65 hits and 28 walks in 64 innings, and ended the season with a 3 and 8 record. It got to the point where New York practically booed him in and out of the stadium every time he stepped onto the grass. To be fair, it was only one year into the contract, but it can give Yankee fans deja vu thinking about just another overly large contract that will bite the organization in the ass. From Jacoby Ellsbury, Alex Rodriguez, and AJ Burnett, the Yankees are no strangers to overpaying for long-term contracts.
I will go into the 2024 season with an open mind about Rodón, but to live up to $27 million a year, I'll expect to see an all-star pitcher to end the season with a sub 3.0 ERA.