The White Sox will promote left-hander Carlos Rodon, the third overall selection in last year’s draft, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Rodon will join the team tomorrow and will initially pitch out of the bullpen, according to Rosenthal. The White Sox will need to create both a 25-man and 40-man roster spot for Rodon.
The 22-year-old is considered the White Sox’s best prospect and, overall, one of baseball’s top prospects. The former NC State lefty is ranked eighth by FanGraphs’ Kiley McDaniel, 12th by ESPN’s Keith Law, 15th by both Baseball America and MLB.com, and 41st by Baseball Prospectus. Rodon made a steady rise through the Chicago organization after signing for a franchise-record $6.582MM bonus compiling a line of 2.96 ERA, 14.1 K/9, and 4.8 BB/9 in nine games (six starts) across three levels. This year, Rodon has struck out 13 against four walks in his two starts (10 innings) for Triple-A Charlotte after a strong camp in which he posted 21 strikeouts versus five bases on balls in 17 2/3 innings of work.
MLB.com praises Rodon as the best college left-hander since David Price and credits him with a wipeout slider that explodes on hitters with two-plane break. Baseball America also ranks Rodon’s slider as his top pitch rating it 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale (20 the lowest, 80 the highest, and 50 considered average).
News of Rodon’s promotion comes two days after the crosstown Cubs officially elevated their own prospect phenom and fellow Scott Boras client, Kris Bryant. Unlike Bryant, however, there was no hue and cry over Rodon’s failure to make the Opening Day roster (and resulting service time implications) as the White Sox shipped him to Triple-A to work on his fastball and changeup command. Also like Bryant, Rodon is now on track for Super Two status (assuming he is not returned to Charlotte) and will be eligible for arbitration four times, instead of the standard three, while qualifying for free agency after the 2021 season. The timing of Rodon’s call up, though, may be more about the schedule than service time considerations. MLB.com’s Phil Rogers tweets the White Sox’s next seven games are against division foes Cleveland and Kansas City and both teams have impact left-handed bats.
Of course, even though Rodon will begin working out of the bullpen, one would imagine that his move into the rotation is inevitable. John Danks and Hector Noesi currently occupy the final two spots in Chicago’s rotation, and while Danks’ contract may keep him in the starting mix, Noesi has struggled early on and already had a start skipped. The 28-year-old Noesi has a shaky track record, to say the least, and it’s not hard to envision a spot opening for Rodon sooner rather than later.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Very exciting! I would have preferred he just went straight into the rotation, but it doesn’t hurt to get his feet wet out of the pen.
With Danks & Noesi in the rotation it won’t take long. Sadly.
I think a manager needs veterans to fail before they pull the plug on them. If you take Noesi/Danks out of the rotation this early, you might create some problems. Plus this allows Rodon innings totals to be more easily managed.
Excellent points.
I would add in the need to create an environment he can succeed in by pitching in low leverage situations.
I agree. But I think the innings total has more to do with this than anything. Now they don’t need to ‘shut him down’ at any point due to high starter innings. They can just ease him in and maybe occasionally skip a start when the schedule dictates it.
I like the Earl Weaver plan – develop a quality starter in long relief before transitioning im to the rotation. Let him turn over a lineup at least once, while also occasionally pitching in high-leverage situations.
I’m confused. Rodon is a Boras client. Why didn’t Boras throw a tantrum over him remaining in the minors for 2 weeks to start the season? Why isn’t the MLBPA furious? Why does only Kris Bryant get this treatment?
the MLBPA agreed to service time rules. If they are furious, they should be furious at themselves.
The reason is that Bryant lead spring training in HR’s.
Maybe because Carlos Rodon was drafted just last year and has made a total of 8 professional starts in the minors….
while Kris Bryant has played in 181 minor league games.
See my post. Hopefully that clears it up for ya.
Bryant had a much longer track record and was clearly ready for the majors. He’s actually older than Bryce Harper, for example. Pitchers have longer paths to the majors for a lot of reasons.
Actually, pitchers have a shorter path to the majors than hitters
Interesting. I’d love to see the numbers on that, but have no idea how to look for them.
The only position to take longer than pitcher to be called up is catcher… but the other 7 positions have much quicker paths to the majors.
Ah, the old David Price treatment. Surprised Boras and co didn’t throw a Bryant-type fit over Rodon being super-2.
Being a Super-2 is a good thing for the player….
It delays their free agency, which is why Boras was so upset over Bryant.
Being a Super 2 doesn’t delay their free agency. Holding them back so they don’t get a full 6 years service time delays their free agency.
The White Sox could have kept Rodon down until late June so they avoid Super 2 with him and would have saved millions.
the sox started sale out the same way.
Nah man, being a Super 2 is kinda like the MLBPA’s counter to teams playing the service time game.
Finally, somebody that understands that super 2 benefits players not teams
Sadly, let the Tommy John surgery countdown begin.
So the risk only starts when you’re added to the 40 man?
It’s a more common occurrence among those flip flop between the rotation and pen, I believe is his suggestion.
Mark Buehrle and Chris Sale went the same route and are Tommy John-free.
Sale was given an offseason to stretch out and Buehrle’s very existence is an anomaly.
Look at guys like Felix, Ogando, Medlen, Cumpton, Corbin, Hochevar, etc. It just seems to follow erratic pitching schedules closely.
I’m confused. Ogando and Felix haven’t had TJ.
And Felix didn’t even start in the bullpen…
R.D., that makes no sense at all. One can name just as many pitchers that started in the pen that have been successful. It’s a case by case basis of building arm strength/overuse, mechanics, and luck.
See, anyone can list players to support their point: Sale, Buehrle, Price, Iwakuma, CJ Wilson, Masterson, Schilling, Pedro, anybody that went through St. Louis in the past 20 years…
I would like to see evidence of that before I bought into it. The Cardinals have had great success with introducing pitchers to the Majors by having them pitch out of the bullpen before holding a rotation spot.
Don’t worry the way that John Danks and Hector Noesi have been pitching to start the year Carlos shouldn’t be in the bullpen for too long..
I’ve never understood the prospect of people predicting guys needing TJ, it’s a pretty unpredictable injury.
Don’t worry the way that John Danks and Hector Noesi have been pitching Carlos shouldn’t be in the bullpen for too long..
Did the ChiSox just become the best rotation in the AL?
Maybe when he is actually added to the rotation
Cleveland says hello.
With Rodon added, the Sox rotation is better.
Cleveland has 3 unproven starters. Most games Carasco ever won in a season is 8. Bauer 5. Salazar 6. Wins not indicative of performance? Most IP for the 3 – 134, 153, 110.
Then there’s the Mariners starters, as well as their bullpen behind them. If we take starters and bullpen, have to put KC up there as well. And everyone seems to be underestimating Detroit…..Baltimore as well.
no. great collection of lefties… and john danks
Righties probably love playing against the White Sox and they’ll love it even more once Noesi gets moved to the pen. The rotation will look like this in about a month:
1. Sale (lefty)
2. Quintana (lefty)
3. Samardzija (righty)
4. Danks (lefty)
5. Rodon (lefty)
They should probably keep noesi and move danks to the bullpen. But you know, it might hurt his feelings
Yeah, because righties hit Sale and Quintana SO hard. (Danks doesn’t have platoon splits either.)
This shouldn’t be that difficult to comprehend, people who think Kris Bryant and Carlos Rodon’s service time situations are the same. Although the Cubs broke no rules by optioning Bryant to the minors out of Spring Training, folks (Boras included) felt he had performed well enough for over a year that he should break camp with the team. Bryant could have hit .500 with 15 HRs in ST and the Cubs still had no obligation to bring him north. The player’s union agreed on the service time guidelines during collective bargaining, so they couldn’t really gripe about it now that it’s really an issue. Rodon, on the other hand, only had 24 IP in the minors before having a decent, not great, Spring training. Let me know the next time a prospect gets a call up to the majors with that little experience, regardless of his agent. Its basically apples and oranges. Just enjoy their play instead of trying to make an argument involving apples and oranges.
Brandon Finnegan, Chris Sale, Mike Leake.
finnegan & sale were called up during playoff pushes. mike leake was on an innings limit anyway, which proved to be an idiotic move by losing a year of control and still not pitching him a full season.
You asked to let you know if there were minor league players with very little experience like Rodon getting their contracts purchased, I gave you three examples of situations very similar to Rodon (college pitchers with a limited minor league track record).
It’s cool to see player jump up, I hope he does well! Meanwhile, in NY lindgren is wasting time in the minors and he’s only a reliever
Absolutely agreed.