Carlos Rodón is the top remaining starting pitcher in free agency and unsurprisingly has many suitors. The Yankees, Red Sox, Twins, Giants, Cardinals, Rangers, Blue Jays, Mets, Orioles and Dodgers have been connected to him at various points throughout the offseason. However, many of those teams have since signed other pitchers, potentially taking them out of the running. Also, the latest report suggests that Rodón and his representatives are looking for a deal of seven years or longer with a guarantee of $200MM or more. That’s well beyond the five years and $140MM that MLBTR predicted at the beginning of the offseason and likely prices out some of those clubs. So, who will actually pull it off? Let’s take a look at the options.
Yankees
It is reportedly Rodón’s preference to make Yankee Stadium his home ballpark and the team is interested in him as well. That’s an excellent starting point but the fit gets more complicated from there. The Yanks would apparently prefer to limit their offers to the four- or five-year range, which is something that would have to be overcome in negotiations. It’s not surprising that the club has concerns about the long-term picture, since the future payrolls are already getting filled in. Aaron Judge is going to be making $40MM per season for the next nine years. Gerrit Cole still has six more years at $36MM per. Giancarlo Stanton has five more years between $25MM and $32MM, along with an option for 2028. Even if the club plans on turning that down at that time, it comes with a hefty $10MM buyout. DJ LeMahieu adds another $15MM per year for the next four seasons.
Even in the short term, there might be issues. There have been reports that the club would like to stay under the third tier of the competitive balance tax, as crossing that line would lead to much higher taxation rates and the club’s top 2023 draft pick moving back 10 spots. Roster Resource currently pegs their CBT figure at $266MM, not too far from the $273MM third tier. Adding a salary near $30MM for Rodón would push them past that line and also past the top tier of $293MM.
From a baseball standpoint, adding another starter makes sense. The club’s rotation currently consists of Cole, Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino and Frankie Montas. They could fill in the final slot with Domingo Germán or Clarke Schmidt and be in fine shape, but both Severino and Montas missed significant time with shoulder injuries in 2022. One more arm would bump German and Schmidt into depth roles and provide extra cover for an injury absence, but will they go for a top-of-the-market option like Rodón?
Red Sox
The Red Sox also have some long-term contracts on the books, though at lesser terms than the Yankees. Trevor Story and Masataka Yoshida are each under control for five more seasons, though their combined salaries are just barely over $40MM in most of those seasons. That makes them roughly equal to what the Yanks are paying Judge alone, never mind Cole or Stanton. In the short term, Roster Resource has their CBT figure at $192MM, meaning they could easily add a Rodón-sized salary and stay under the first luxury tax threshold of $233MM, if they so desire.
From an on-field perspective, it also makes sense given their rotation question marks. Chris Sale and James Paxton have hardly pitched in the past three years. Garrett Whitlock has done more bullpen work in his career so far, with only nine starts in the majors at this point. Brayan Bello just debuted in 2022 and made 11 starts of middling quality. Nick Pivetta stayed healthy in 2022 but he’s never posted an ERA better than 4.53. There’s plenty of room for upgrades in there.
However, the Sox just watched their franchise shortstop, Xander Bogaerts, ship off to San Diego. They apparently made a six-year, $160MM offer that was more than $100MM below the $280MM the Padres gave him. It was even below the $189MM MLBTR predicted at the start of the offseason, before spending went wild and it was clear it would take much more than that. After such a half-hearted attempt to secure a beloved franchise icon, are they really going to pivot and put in a harder charge for a new face like Rodón?
Twins
The entire Minnesota offseason has seemed to revolve around their hopes of bringing Carlos Correa back. The club has generally been pretty quiet, apart from acquiring Kyle Farmer as a Correa safety net and signing Christian Vázquez to be their catcher. They reportedly offered Correa ten years and $285MM, but he instead went to the Giants for $350MM over 13 years. Minnesota’s offer was actually a higher average annual value, but it was a significantly lower overall guarantee.
The question now is what their backup plan is. They were willing to five Correa $28.5MM per season, but would they have the same willingness for someone like Rodón? They certainly have the long-term payroll space to do it, as Byron Buxton and Vázquez are the only two players signed beyond the upcoming campaign. Vázquez will get a modest $10MM salary through 2025 while Buxton is only guaranteed $15MM per season through 2028 with various incentives available. In the short-term, the club’s payroll is only at $107MM for 2023, per Roster Resource. That’s well shy of last year’s Opening Day figure of $134MM, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts.
From a baseball perspective, the club has many rotation options and doesn’t strictly need an upgrade. However, Rodón would easily jump to the top of the chart and could allow the club to trade someone else. Currently, their rotation mix consists of Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda, Tyler Mahle, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson, Josh Winder and others. Chris Paddack underwent Tommy John surgery in May and could be back later in the season. Gray and Maeda have reportedly drawn trade interest, which could allow the club to make a splash on Rodón and then use their starters to upgrade elsewhere. The largest contract in franchise history is the $184MM extension they gave to Joe Mauer back in 2010. They were willing to smash that record for Correa but what about Rodón?
Giants
The Giants have been quite aggressive this winter, already handing out a mega deal for Correa as well as smaller but still significant deals for Mitch Haniger, Sean Manaea and Ross Stripling. Those latter two deals bolstered their rotation, with Manaea and Stripling now joining Logan Webb, Alex Cobb, Alex Wood, Anthony DeSclafani and Jakob Junis as rotation options. That already seems like too many starters, though the club is apparently still in on Rodón.
From a long-term payroll point of view, they could certainly do it. Haniger and Correa are the only contracts on the books by 2025 and Correa the only one beyond that. In the short term, Roster Resource currently pegs their payroll at $190MM and their CBT figure at $206MM. They are getting near their franchise high payroll of $201MM, per Cot’s, though that was back in 2018. The CBT figure would tiptoe over the $233MM luxury tax line by adding a Rodón-sized deal, but they could pivot and trade one of their other starters to get back under. Wood is making $12.5MM in 2023 before reaching free agency, Cobb $9MM plus an option for 2024, DeSclafani $12MM in each of the next two seasons. Those three would all surely have some degree of trade value, given the high prices for free agent starters this winter. The club is also looking for outfield and catching help, but maybe a Rodón signing could eventually allow them to plug those holes via trade.
Cardinals
Though the Cardinals have been connected to Rodón, it was reported yesterday that they are unlikely to meet his asking price. That’s not exactly shocking as the largest contract in club history is the five-year, $130MM Paul Goldschmidt extension. The most they’ve ever given a free agent pitcher was $80MM for Mike Leake going into 2016. To suddenly jump up to $200MM would be quite a surprise. Their payroll for 2023 is also at $164MM, per Roster Resource, which is beyond last year’s figure and a match with their franchise high, per Cot’s. They may be willing to increase payroll this year, but going $30MM beyond their previous record would be a surprise.
The Cardinals also don’t strictly need a starter right now, as they have a number of rotation options. Their current crop of starters includes Adam Wainwright, Jack Flaherty, Miles Mikolas, Steven Matz, Jordan Montgomery and Dakota Hudson. There are some injury concerns in there but it’s still a solid group overall, with depth options like Matthew Liberatore and Zack Thompson available if needed. Adding Rodón would certainly be an upgrade, especially after 2023 when Wainwright will retire and Flaherty, Mikolas and Montgomery will all be free agents. However, that group is also decent enough for the club to compete in the National League Central this year. Similar to the Twins and Giants, they could sign Rodón and then flip one of their current pitchers, but the financial situation is probably an obstacle.
Rangers
The Rangers were connected to Rodón as far back as October. At the time, it made perfect sense since the club’s rotation going into the winter consisted of Jon Gray and a bunch of crash test dummies. Since then, however, they have re-signed Martín Pérez, traded for Jake Odorizzi and signed free agents Jacob deGrom and Andrew Heaney. That group, along with Gray and Dane Dunning, puts the club’s rotation in solid shape, certainly much better than 2022. The club reportedly met with Rodón after the deGrom signing, though that was shortly before the Heaney deal was announced.
The club could certainly sign Rodón and bump Odorizzi into a sixth starter/swingman role until someone gets hurt. However, the club’s CBT figure is currently $204MM, per Roster Resource. Adding Rodón would get them near or above the luxury tax threshold of $233MM. In terms of pure payroll, the club’s current $181MM figure is already more than $15MM beyond their previous franchise record, per Cot’s. Would they be willing to add another $30MM on top of that, when they are still looking for outfield upgrades as well?
Blue Jays
The Blue Jays were connected to Rodón in a limited way, though that was before they signed Chris Bassitt. That signing and the club’s other moves have shot the payroll up to record heights and put them into luxury tax territory for the first time. Roster Resource puts their CBT figure just barely over the $233MM line. The $209MM payroll is well beyond last year’s $171MM, their previous high, per Cot’s.
The club’s current rotation would consist of Bassitt, Kevin Gausman, Alek Manoah and José Berríos, with Yusei Kikuchi and Mitch White options for the back end. They are reportedly still open for upgrades, though adding a monster deal for Rodón seems unlikely when they are already so far into uncharted territory in terms of the finances. It’s much more likely they search for a more modest upgrade, as they were connected to Johnny Cueto yesterday.
Mets
The Mets reportedly met with Rodón back in late November, but they have since signed Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga and José Quintana. Those three, along with Max Scherzer and Carlos Carrasco, give the club a full rotation. The Mets are reportedly even thinking about trading Carrasco to open the final rotation slot for someone like David Peterson or Tylor Megill.
It would be foolish to completely rule the Mets out on anyone at this point, given that there doesn’t seem to be any limit to their spending. The payroll is already in record territory, with Roster Resource putting them down for $336MM and a CBT figure of $350MM. They are set to be second-time payors and are now paying a 90% tax on all spending since they are way beyond the top CBT line of $293MM. That means signing Rodón to a contract around $30MM per year would actually lead to the club paying about $60MM.
They have larger needs in the bullpen so spending huge money on Rodón doesn’t seem especially likely. However, they were just connected to Correa before he signed with the Giants, so maybe there’s still some big cash left on the pile.
Orioles
The Orioles are the best fit for Rodón in terms of long-term payroll. They have literally no one guaranteed any money for 2024. Of course, many of their players will earn arbitration salaries for that season, but they are committed to nothing. For 2023, Roster Resource pegs their payroll at a meager $52MM, less than what the Mets are set to pay in taxes alone.
The rotation could surely use an extra arm, as it currently consists of Kyle Gibson, Dean Kremer, Austin Voth, Tyler Wells, Spenser Watkins, Kyle Bradish, Mike Baumann and DL Hall. Those guys all have limited track records and are still works in progress, apart from Gibson who was brought in as a veteran stabilizer. Prospect Grayson Rodriguez will likely join the group at some point, as will John Means, who underwent Tommy John surgery in April. But there’s plenty of room for upgrades.
The main argument against a Rodón signing is the track record of the O’s under general manager Mike Elias. The club has been aggressively rebuilding and avoiding long-term commitments. The club’s last free agent signing longer than one-year was for Alex Cobb back in 2018, prior to the hire of Elias. It’s much more likely that they target a lower tier of free agency, in line with their Gibson signing and their reported interest in Michael Wacha.
Dodgers
The Dodgers were connected to Rodón back in November, but they have since agreed to terms with Noah Syndergaard. He slots into a rotation that also features Julio Urías, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May, with prospects like Ryan Pepiot and Michael Grove around as depth. There are injury concerns in there, as Kershaw hasn’t been able to throw 130 innings in a season since 2019 due to various ailments. May just came back from Tommy John surgery late in 2022 and only made six starts on the year. Gonsolin jumped from swingman to starter in 2022 but dealt with a forearm strain down the stretch. Syndergaard was healthy in 2022 but it was his first full season back from Tommy John and his velocity didn’t fully return.
It’s not impossible to think that they would add another starter, but they generally prefer short-term deals. They signed Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney to one-year deals last offseason and have done the same now with Syndergaard. The last time they signed a pitcher to a deal longer than three years was Brandon McCarthy’s four-year deal going into 2015. There have also been reports that they would like to reset their luxury tax status this year so that they can be a “first-time” payor for 2024. Roster Resource has their CBT number at $201MM. That’s well shy of the $233MM luxury tax threshold, but Trevor Bauer is appealing his suspension at the moment. If he gets it overturned, that puts over $30MM back onto that number, taking up the space that they could theoretically use on Rodón. A decision on that is expected in the next month or so. Until they get clarity on that, they might avoid huge commitments.
Mystery Team
Perhaps some team that hasn’t been connected to Rodón in rumors will swoop in and surprise us all. The Rays are never big spenders but were apparently willing to consider splurging on Freddie Freeman last year and Brandon Nimmo this year. The Mariners have been surprisingly quiet this winter and could be open to trading Marco Gonzales or Chris Flexen. The Cubs have signed Jameson Taillon and Cody Bellinger this winter but haven’t yet made the big splash many expected. They’ve been often connected to the shortstops and could still go after Dansby Swanson but the rotation has plenty of question marks. The Padres have already spent a bunch but apparently just missed on Bassitt. Do they have one more surprise up their sleeve?
Which of these paths makes the most sense to you? Have your say in the poll below!
(poll link for app users)
I’ll go with the Orioles
That was my first thought. He could pair with Grayson Rodriguez to make that team formidable.
But I don’t see them spending the money.
Rodon has said he wants to be a Yankee, so that’s where my vote went. I get a feeling he will end up in Minnesota for some reason. The Twinkies owe it to their fans to offer Rodon a 7 year deal, $200 million dollar deal. Thinking the Yankees won’t go past 5 years.
I do not think the Twins go 7 with years, they are more conservative
@bergeraj- It would definitely be in their best interest to do so though. Probably the only way to get Rodon. If I’m the Twinkies I’m looking at Raul López or Trevor Rogers also.
I’m still trying to figure out why so many would consider so much for a pitcher who does not have a consistent track record.
It’s the fact that there’s this rumor out there that he wants to be a Yankee that makes me question it, especially the part where the Yankees offer is light. Feels like a Boras tactic to engage other teams who may now believe there’s an opening. I’ll go with the Rangers here stepping up with a seven year deal.
The Twins will never , nor should they ever, spend $200 MM on a pitcher they wouldn’t on a 30 yr old Clayton Kershaw in his prime , maybe in 2040 things will be just that different , but untill then
Cpt judge c’mon man take ur glaring Yankee Fandom and shove it back to 2009.
I hope the Yanks get him at a Kevin Brown like pact
@Arm Chair
Well, it would be very stlish
I have to say with where everyone has already landed and I’m not saying Rodon doesn’t have a robust market, but I’m starting to think maybe his medicals aren’t looking to good and that may explain why deGrom who is beyond fragile and Verlander 40 and coming of tjs and of course a cy young got signed rather quickly. It’s either that or he wants ridiculous money and or year’s and isn’t budging. I have to think it’s his arm and or shoulder that might not hold up 5 yrs plus. Just saying. I still think the Yankees 5-150 with opt out.
@chris
I think it has more to do w the QO assigned to him plus his desire to now go 7 years 200m+
White Sox
Cubs…along with Swanson.
First. Yankees are All In on Rodon. After that they’ll sign Benintendi.
I don’t think he’ll sign anywhere. Carlos’ dream is to run a string of successful Chuck E Cheese franchises using the millions he has already earned. Source: I’m his agent
Sounds like nonsense Jon Heyman would say
hello from the future
Red Sox eventually need to do something right?
Wish I shared your optimism
The right thing here is to NOT sign him. They might be pursuing a Japanese pitcher though. I don’t know much about him other than he’s thrown at 101 mph but historically has been wild.
It’s never a wrong decision to pay a good player to join your team.
Two words: David Price
What does David Price have to do with it? For many reasons, he was a terrible match with Boston. Rodon doesn’t have any history with Boston. He wouldn’t be coming to town with a big chip on his shoulder.
No, just an injury history and 7 year $200 million price tag. Chris Sale is another example of why such a signing is probably a bad idea
The money that went to Chris sale didn’t impact the sox. They’re a big market team, they can afford some risk
Whomever wants to get bent over by Boras will win.
Bender in Miami!
New York it seems. And honestly, I kinda liked it.
Even though they already signed Verlander, Senga, and Quintana, I think the Mets will sign this guy as well.
Agreed. I think Cohen is furious they went out in the Wild Card round. I think he’s ready to do whatever it takes to win it all.
This has got that BS where somebody lingers and then the Dodgers swoop in and sign him written all over it.
If the Yankees offered around 5 years/$150M, I would have taken it if I were Rodon.
The Giants offer him 6 years 175 and go with a 6 man rotation. Analytics!
Twins. They missed out on Correa and will commit to bringing in a SP to lead their rotation.
Lol
Yankees!
Well, looks like the O’s are finally hitting the mark in’24! Winners of the no players on the payroll championship.
The envy of owners across MLB….
Clipper: If they waste a year of Adley Rutschman with an absurdly low payroll, that’s bad.
Rodon and Syndergaard would of been the perfect get for the Orioles at that beautiful park at Camden Yards.
Syndergaard signed with LA.
@VonPurpleHayes- Yeah I think he’ll pitch great for them this year. You like Syndergaard? Where do you think Rodon is going?
I think Syndergaard can only work for a few teams, but I think the Dodgers are a perfect fit. Teams without deep bullpens or rotations can’t really rely on Thor, but Syndergaard and the Dodgers could be a perfect match.
Rodon is tough to call, but it’s got to be the Yankees. Right now, the Yanks are still extremely far away from the Astros. Rodon is the only move I see that closes that gap albeit slightly.
@VonPurpleHayes- maybe in regards to Rodon. My preference for the Yankees is Raul López over Rodon. If I’m the Yankees I’m not giving him 7 years, no way. I would rather have López for 2 years instead of Rodon for 7. Bryan Reynolds for Gleyber Torres, Trey Sweeney/Austin Wells, Randy Vasquez and Everson Pereira is good trade for both teams.
Who on Earth is Raul Lopez???
I’m not crazy about signing Rodon for longer than 5 years, but I don’t see any great alternatives.
I think it’ll take more than that package to get Reynolds. I’d say the Yanks have a better shot at trading for Varsho (or my preference Alek Thomas).
Suit, I agree brother. With getting $200MM + per year from the revenue shares since 2018(?), or even before, they’ve been piling money somewhere. I can’t believe the competitive balance warriors don’t have an issue with this. And they want a bigger share of large market money? For what?
I just hope it’s not the Cubs. They are doing a great job, staying a way from over priced long term contracts. Still paying Heyward 20 Million this year and he just signed a Minor League contract with Dodgers.
@Jiggs Yes. They are doing a great job holding on to their money so the Cubs fans have nothing exciting to watch. Good on them.
That’s not true at all. Cubs were one of the best NL teams in 2nd half. Still lots to watch. Just stick to your Phils.
Swept the Phillies at the end of the season. Beat Nola and Wheeler.
I’m not insulting the Cubs and their players, just their cheap owners. Also the Phillies were treading water at that point, banged up and barely staying afloat. Cubs definitely have some pieces, but I don’t think their spending enough on FA talent. That NL Central is up for grabs. Cubs should have made a splash. They still might.
*they’re spending
Yanks land Rodon, for between 5/170- 6/200., If the Yanks don’t move up their offer enough he might take a short term deal again, and any of the interested teams might be in on him.
If he goes short-term, and he’s smart, he should sign with an NL or AL Central team and boost his stats. Most of the teams in those divisions suck.
In what universe would he be going short term to boost value?
If he goes the Correa route from last year. I’m not saying he would do it in order to boost his value, but if he’s not getting the years he wants this offseason and takes a short deal with an opt-out after 2023, he’d be better off pitching somewhere with weaker competition, having another killer season, and re-entering the market.
the point is he really couldnt come into fa w a better recent track record. there was no way he was going to let the moment after two dominant seasons pass. lo and behold, the yankees shall be paying
It’s a moot point now, but I would have said the same thing about Correa last offseason.
true
Red Sox should definitely consider Rodon or Eovaldi. Both Sale and Paxton have been too fragile to expect a full season from either of them.
Eovaldi says he is pitching in the World Baseball Classic. Being fully ramped up in March should make him more likely to break down during the season. Add to that he has draft picks tied to him for rejecting a QO (except for the Red Sox). I wouldn’t sign him unless it’s a cheap deal.
As a Padre fan, I really hope they don’t sign him. The money and years don’t make sense.
I can see the Rangers offering 7 years & an absurd figure to land him while still finding a way to miss the playoffs.
If he gets 7 years and 200 million with his history, I’ll be shocked. Some team would have to lose their good sense to do that. I wouldn’t give him more than a three year deal and would be even nervous about that.
who knows… I never thought anyone should go beyond 7 on judge and they end up at 9. All the SS should’ve been 8-9 year deals max, and 13 on Correa specifically w his injury history was just foolish. This market is silly this year, and I’m guessing the pendulum will swing back the other way more over the next few offseasons.
Why not the Padres? Opt for one expensive guy instead of two mid-tier guys, then see what Martinez and Morejon can do at the back of the rotation. 5 spot can be a bit of a black hole if Snell is your #4. It also gives the rotation a bit of certainty beyond Snell and Yu reaching Free Agency after next season. Not that spending is an issue for them right now, but they could probably still sneak under the next tier of CBT even with another $30mil/yr guy, and outside another Starter, the roster is already pretty set if Tatis can play LF (which I don’t like, but oh well). Thoughts??
I’ll take the Twins. They’re desperate to spend the money and get back to leading the division. If they sign Swanson, they may be out on Rodon. I could see them signing Rodon and then trading a starter for a middle of the lineup bat.
They still need a DH even if Tatis is playing OF. Plus they really need more OF depth since Tatis is suspended most of April. If the season started today they would have to start Azocar in LF with Dahl as the OF off the bench, which is not ideal.
I’d rather they get someone like Wacha or Kluber for that #4 spot and then sign an OF bat who can primarily DH. Brantley or Conforto are interesting for that role in my mind because you can rotate them through in the OF and have them take the majority of the DH at bats. I think if you sign 1 of those hitters and 1 of those pitchers, your total spend for 2023 is going to be less than it would for just Rodon, not to mention you’d have like 6 more years to pay to Rodon afterwards.
@CNic Yeah that’s certainly fair. I like the idea of Kluber in the #4 spot, getting out of the AL East will do him some good. I have always liked Brantley and Conforto and I think a contact-first lefty hitter will fit in really nicely in our lineup. I’d take this Kluber + Conforto path over going big for Rodon then signing like a Ben Gamel-type and/or trusting Azocar even after Tatis returns.
Pretty comical that the Yankees won’t commit long term because they’ve already committed long term. You either want the guy or you don’t, it’s on Boras’s terms, so put on your big boy pants and sign him to a seven year contract. Then grab yourself a lollipop.
Mystery team: Atlanta Braves. I don’t really think this is true, but I’m going with it right now.
Rangers, they’re making bold moves. No reason to hold back now
Who or what team wants to be the next fool to give this pitcher more than 3 years and more than 69 mills ? Well we will see. But this is how I see it, that team would be stock long term with a bad investment. Actually if an owner is so desperate to sign a pitcher like him, I rather give him 75 for 3 years with a 2nd year opp out. But good luck to whom it may concern wasting big time money . By the way I rather trade for someone like Lopez or Max Fried or a stop gap.
Phillies
This would certainly put them over the lux tax penalty, and I think they want to save some room for a mid-season acquisition. I also think they’re pretty comfortable with their rotation. As a fan though, I think Rodon is the move that puts them on par with the best teams in baseball. Maybe not the smartest move financially though.
RAYS 1YR-40 MIL
He is not worth the ask price but seeing how teams are overpaying like the Rangers for example, I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets what he’s asking for.
Texas needs offense, not pitching. If anything, depth is helpful. They shouldn’t waste all their $ on pitching when left field is a black hole and the position Adolis Garcia doesn’t play kind of is too. Their fans seem to be deluded into thinking they can sign everyone and have a 200+ million budget. They just aren’t realistic.
I definitely think they need another pitcher just as much as offense. There’s also not a lot of offense out there.
Dunning and Otto are depth. In the outfield, they have .5000 and .600 OPS guys.
To clarify I meant “out there” as in free agency.
Yes, I know. I meant it is a much bigger priority. Who could be worse than the garbage they had last season?
Yankees thats where he wants to be and they want him so i bet they will get a deal done sooner or later
Angels sign him.
Yankees if he don’t love his beard, Rangers if he does.
I think he signs with the Giants. I’d love for the Cubs to sign him, but not at the years he is wanting.
San Diego Padres
CUBS!!!
Rodon is going to accept a 1 year deal so Jed can flip him at the deadline., this is what Rodon is really looking for!
Free agents are knocking down the door at Wrigley for one year deals in hope they can get traded mid season for prospects!
MARK IT DOWN!!!
Seriously don’t see him getting seven years from anyone! Still guessing Yankees though, 5-6 year deal
Virtually no deal “ages well”. So it depends on whether you think Rodon has made legitimate progress the past two seasons. By nearly every measure he is now one of the bona fide aces in MLB and the last one that is definitely available this offseason (trades are not guaranteed). Does a team think Rodon can produce at this level for the next 3-4 seasons? If so, then like any other player, you accept the drop off for the last 3 seasons of a 7 year deal. If he helps your team win a title in the next 3 years, is it worth it? I’d say yes, personally. 30 million per year over 7 years is a lot. I doubt he actually gets quite that much (I think he’ll get 6-7 years at 27 or 28 mil per year) but that’s the way contracts are going these days. And who knows, if he really has turned a corner these past two seasons, he could be just entering his prime. He might be elite for 5+ years. It’s not inconceivable.
Agreed, he’s been legitimately top 5 sp in mlb by most measures the last two years. His questions are all around injury vs performance, and I’m sure someone will take that chance.
I can see a scenario where a Correa-Twins like contract, makes a lot of sense for both Rodon, and the Baltimore Orioles, if big market teams aren’t convinced you’re up to the challenge, what better way for Rodon to prove it than to pitch the O’s to a playoff spot amidst the big offenses of the AL East. Rodon gets his pay day from the big boys next year, and the O’s get their stop-gap ace, without a long term commitment. Win for both sides.
Rodon will end up in Seattle. But 2nd guess has to be Cards. They need pitching and given the fact that every pitcher that comes through their systems ends up qith TJ surgery, he is a perfect fit.
Seattle is where I think he’ll end up too. They’ve made good moves towards competing at a higher level and signing Rodón would seemingly make them the unquestionably second best team in their division.
I don’t know but the Padres will come second
Twins are my sleeper. They play in the worst division in baseball and even a slight improvement should be enough to hold off Cleveland. After missing out on Correa, they have the funds to secure an ace like Rondon.
***Rodon
All these articles continue including the Giants (pre/post Correa signing). While all 30 teams are a “possibility”, with the SF recent pitcher signings—and the Correa contract—it would appear to be a poor fit in their budget given some other pressing needs still. For those of us Giants fans who followed Rodon closely this past season, he was frequently just on the verge of blowing a gasket in post-game interviews when he would exit a game in line for a win and the bullpen or defense blew it. Always said the right things about the team, he often seemed to be following his agent’s advice not to dog his teammates or the owners who might offer him his best next contract option. I think he made up his mind long ago that he didn’t want to return to SF, and would guess that it’s only likely to happen if they would be a best last-ditch option for him ($$$).
Seven years?! No one will give him that many years. He may get five with the Yankees or Twins.
Is Katie Woo also in charge of admissions at St Peters Gate? When and why is her opinion that us signing Rodon is unlikely, become fact and the end of the discussion? Or is that just lazy reporting by mlbtr, wanting to eliminate a candidate?
Show me anything that points to us being “unlikely” other than the fact we haven’t done it before. How many Xander Contracts have gone over $200 million before this year? How many injured pitchers have signed for 5 years and $185 million before this year? How many people just paid $12 for a pack of cigarettes for the first time in their lives? (I quit). Lots of precedents are being reset all the time. It is not a reasonable argument why we are out on Rodon.
“Unlikely” is an odd choice of words. It kinda makes me think we aren’t out at all. Sounds like we’re trying to tell the Yankees “no need to go any higher”. Then when Carlos feels rejected by the weekend we SWOOP SWOOP SWOOP!
Yankees. Especially since Cole can opt out after 2024. Sleeper would be the Mets since they have some dollars coming off next year and can easily move Carrasco to a team in need of pitching for a very reasonable price tag. Besides, if the rumor was true regarding Correa, same could be said for Rodon.
Cubs if they don’t land Swanson
Marlins