Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters this morning, including ESPN’s Marly Rivera, that pitchers Carlos Rodon, Tommy Kahnle, and Lou Trivino will all begin the season on the injured list. Rodon is suffering from a mild forearm strain and will be shut down for 7 to 10 days, though Cashman notes that Rodon has already undergone an MRI and has no UCL damage. Kahnle was previously reported to be suffering from biceps tendinitis, while Trivino is suffering from a mild elbow sprain and will be out until May. This news is a significant blow to the Yankees pitching staff, which has already lost right-hander Frankie Montas to shoulder surgery.
Rodon figured to pitch at the top of the Yankees rotation alongside Gerrit Cole after signing a six-year, $162MM contract with the club this offseason. That contract stood as a clear gamble on Rodon staying healthy going forward, given his lengthy injury history. 2022 was just the second year of Rodon’s career where he had managed to pitch more than 140 innings, and it was the first such season since 2016. While Rodon’s newest injury (which Cashman describes as “not serious”) is currently only expected to force him to sit down for a week or so, it certainly brings to mind his career-long injury struggles. That said, Rodon has been among the best starters in baseball when healthy, as shown by his sterling 2.67 ERA (157 ERA+), 2.42 FIP, 33.9% strikeout rate, and 0.998 WHIP over the past two seasons.
Kahnle, who returned to the club this offseason on a two-year, $11.5MM contract, has managed just 13 2/3 innings since the end of the 2019 season, battling injuries ever since. That said, he has stood among the better relievers in the game when healthy, sporting a 3.44 ERA (127 ERA+) and 3.16 FIP in 188 1/3 innings of work since the beginning of the 2016 season. Kahnle’s absence seems likely to be a shorter one than that of Trivino, who the Yankees acquired at the trade deadline last year from the A’s alongside Montas. Trivino pitched exceptionally down the stretch following his trade to the Bronx, sporting a 1.66 ERA (238 ERA+) and 3.34 FIP over the course of his 21 2/3 innings of work in New York. Both Trivino and Kahnle figured to feature prominently in the back of the Yankees bullpen this season, particularly as sidearming reliever Scott Effross is set to miss the 2023 season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
Though this trio of injuries certainly weakens the pitching depth available to the Yankees as they open the year, they still have competent options capable of stepping up and filling for the injured hurlers while they are on the shelf. Domingo German and Clarke Schmidt were already figuring to battle for the fifth starter spot following Montas’s injury, and Rodon’s injury leaves the door open for both players to make the Opening Day rotation. That being said, the Yankees have little in the way of starting depth remaining should the rotation sustain another injury. Cashman mentions Deivi Garcia as one potential option, as noted by Erik Boland of Newsday Sports, but it would certainly make sense for the club to consider bringing in an external depth option such as Dylan Bundy or Chris Archer on a minor league deal, as well.
The bullpen picture is significantly rosier, however, as the Yankees still can rely on the likes of Clay Holmes, Michael King, and Wandy Peralta in the late innings of games. These injuries could also provide right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga an opportunity to work his way back into the late-inning mix for the Yankees after a difficult 2022 season where he posted a 4.15 ERA (95 ERA+) in 48 innings while sporting a reduced strikeout rate of just 18.2% and an inflated walk rate of 9.4%. Should the Yankees wish to acquire additional bullpen depth, there’s a few options still available on the free agent market, including right-hander Corey Knebel and former Yankee Zack Britton.
That being said, any external additions would likely require a change of heart regarding the upper limit of the club’s payroll or a trade to create payroll space. The Yankees have, to this point, seemed unwilling to surpass the fourth tier of the luxury tax, which stands at $293MM. That’s a line the club is pressed right up against, with RosterResource estimating their current 2023 payroll at roughly $292.5MM for luxury tax purposes. While third baseman Josh Donaldson and outfielder Aaron Hicks were seen as the most likely candidates for a salary-clearing trade this offseason, most clubs would likely balk at adding such significant salary to the books just three weeks before Opening Day, making someone like Isiah Kiner-Falefa a more likely option for the Yankees to deal should they try and swing a salary-clearing trade.
Oof. No bueno. Hope they come back in short order
What a wonderful way to start the season!
No question now who will get the nod to start.
Kind of poetic…
That Rodon contract is off to a great start
Rodon injured? Didn’t see that one coming.
They said Rodon and Verlander didn’t have any injury issues. Rodon had 2 seasons with more than 140 innings pitched before signing, yet they focused entirety on last year. Maybe, overall track record matters too, and not just the last season as 95% of a player’s value. That’s how Texas ended up stuck with Semien’s albatross contract.
This reply is a head scratcher for me. Are you saying Rodon and Semien only had one good season?
Also, I think we should see how the Rodon situation plays out before overreacting.
Semien had a career year in 2021 and had 2 elite offensive years, and defense-first guys like IKF in NYY are a dime a dozen, so defense is hardly relevant. I like his WAR, but really he steals bases and plays 2nd beyond his offensive production. If he isn’t hitting 30 homeruns with a .800 OPS or higher on average, I don’t think he’s worth it. Seager can do that and has age plus track record. As for Rodon, he had only 1 durable year and 3 seasons at or above average in his career, including his 2 best seasons the last 2 years. DeGrom has had several 200+ innings seasons and has a career 5.3 K/BB and the 2nd lowest career ERA since 1961 to Kershaw. I’m saying Kershaw, deGrom, and even guys like Verlander/Scherzer are at least established, while Rodon is banking his entire deal on 2 recent seasons. Maybe, he changed, but who knows? Semien isn’t worth his money since guys like Yelich can have 2 good years and then crash. Verlander was kind of like that for Detroit with 2 back to back years, except his floor was higher, and he found the fountain of youth and became an elite top 3 pitcher in Houston. Everyone ignores how Verlander had 6 innings in 2020-2021 and ignores durability concerns. Sure, he was a workhorse, just like deGrom before, but people are like “deGrom only pitched xyz innings since 2020” and Verlander actually has fewer innings and is way older. It’s the trashy NY media made up of incompetent attention-seeking “journalists.” 181 innings vs 224 innings last 3 years for deGrom vs Verlander
I’m not saying you’re wrong, though I think more highly of Semien than you do.
In reality, teams like the Yankees and Rangers have the money and assuming the risk. If it works out, it’s a huge difference maker. If not, it’s just an expensive mistake that these teams can absorb.
I’m not sure what the alternative is to improving.
Banking on two previous seasons? Well yes, he’s in his prime so that’s the body of work they are evaluating — unlike the others you mentioned.
Do you realize that not many players ops at an .800 clip let alone with 30 home runs or even one or the other
I checked…41 players had an 800 or better ops last year. Only 4 short stops…Francisco lindor had a sub .800 ops last season..I guess to you he’s not worth it?
Do consider that Semien isn’t playing shortstop anymore and hasn’t been one since 2020 or so. Beyond that, I would say Lindor’s 125 OPS+ would make him almost worth it last year – just not thar long. I’d take Lindor over Semien at the same AAV. I just think that a shortstop who is 40% better than the average shortstop SS isn’t worth as much as a first baseman who is defensively equally and 40% above the average 1st baseman. I just expect way more than a 108 OPS+ for a 30+ second baseman making 25 million for an eternity.
How many earn 30M+ a year?
@de Grom Semien had a WAR last year of almost 6, and this was after an epic horrible start. Granted he wasn’t as good as the prior year, but he pretty much killed it once he found himself, right around June 1. I’m from Chicago, and Semien would pretty easily be the best player on the White Sox. By WAR, his WAR in both 2021 and 2022 were much higher than any WSox position player.
Semien got 7 years, 175. That’s 25/year average, which is just fine for a player with a WAR over 5. I don’t see reason to complain, at all. The last year or two of it might not be great. But still seems like an enormously better contract than someone like Rodon with a huge injury track record.
@deGrom Texas Ranger: Kind of ironic for a guy with deGrom in the username to be ripping Rodon and Verlander for health issues over which no pitcher has any control.
I’m a Giants fan. Rodon was superb last year but the Giants went out of their way not to extend him. Many of his starts were just for five innings. Have the Yankees treated him as an injury-prone pitcher?
Most pitchers only go five in ings due to their Manager’s fear of facing a lineup for the third time. The Yankees should have given Rodon a contract based on innings pitched, like the Giants did.
It’s not fear if it there is a statistical history and proven basis making it common sense.
Carlos was maxing out every start. The big contract was on the line. On top of that, you need to throw in the emotional energy the guy burns on the mound. Not sure the 5 innings was down to 3rd time through the order.
Another SMART decision by Farhan, letting someone else hitch their wagon to a six year albatross contract. Good luck, NYY.
Zaidi gets so much undeserved hate. He’s done a pretty good job taking over a position that wasn’t in great shape when he started.
Yeah, no shocker here. I thought he’d at least wait until his first start of the season before declaring his arm hurt. I bet he was relieved (no pun intended) when he signed off on the last page of his contract.
Yankees’ season begins to fall apart
This is shaping up as a sad season for the Yankees. With Toronto beefed up and Brian Cashman stripping the organization of all its MLB ready pitching depth, 2023 could see a stumbling start.
How’s vlad Jr doing with that bad knee?
More likely to be ready for OD then Rodon
Manager announced he will be running the bases tomorrow and that his knee is looking good. Doesn’t look like it’s going to be a long term thing.
And there was silence in New York.
It’s all good, they’ll be fine, a couple of starts of German and Schmidt is all we’re looking at before Rodon is back, early season schedule and weather postponements will also help some. Not that concerned!!
Not that concerned = Drinking the CoolAid.
All good, John. That was aimed at the couple of Yankee fans who spent their off season trolling the Giants. Good luck to you.
Yankee fans always standing out on the ledge.
Good thing the Mets didn’t sign him or this whole comments section would be about the Mets organization and all the trolls would come out.
Unbelievable. Thanks Cashman.
Cashman deserves a trophy. It’s meritorious to have everything go wrong for him.
The Yankees are notorious for downplaying injuries as if they still believe that we the fans will accept such BS. Forearm strains tend to lead to TJS.
The good news is that the Yankees weren’t going anywhere in 2023, anyhow. They are returning the same crappy lineup that got swept by the Astros. Any positive contributions from Rodon would have been wasted this season.
So winning the division, making the playoffs and getting to the ALCS is no where??? Idiots
Yes , that terrible team that basically won 100 games and went to the ALCS.
Every team should just give up because the Astros look good on paper. The favorites always win!
You don’t need a comma before “as well,” in the sense you used it here, Nick.
Bingo. Also, I don’t get this why you’d write a sentence this way:
“The Yankees have, to this point, seemed unwilling to surpass the fourth tier of the luxury tax, which stands at $293MM.”
When you could write it in this much more straightforward manner:
“To this point, the Yankees have seemed unwilling to surpass the fourth tier of the luxury tax, which stands at $293MM.”
Maybe you should apply to be an editor instead of sitting at home being pedantic in the comment section.
Myself (a pro editor) and others have offered editing services to MLBTR, but they’re too cheap.
Radon might have had two ace-like seasons but the injury bug gets him a lot. Cashman should have known this before they overpaid.
Know who isn’t injured? Former Cy Young winner, Trevor Bauer. A man with a clean physical and no arrest record.
The Yankees do seem to be having a very White Sox start to this season.
Uh oh spaghetti oh
I hope Rodon never throws a single pitch for the Yankees. He got his $$&. I hope NY gets stuck with a total disaster contract.
Of which their insurance will pick up the cost.
No insurance company covers the entire cost of an MLB contract. The premiums are around 10%, and they pay around 50% of the salary in the event of a total injury. But the best part is, the insurance does not reduce the salary for luxury tax calculations. I hope Rodon is out all year, half of next year, returns as a mediocre SP for a year or 2, then goes out again with a career ending 3rd TJS. Yankees deserve it. Suck it Yankee fans! Start the year with Montas, Rodon, Kahnle, and Fat Nestor hurt. I hope Cole is up next.
You seem like such a nice guy
Me? A nice guy? I have never been accused of that before. But I’ll take it. Thank you!
So Saratoga, Which one of the Yankees is doing your wife?
I wish all of them were. She is a Red Sox fan so it would be extra humiliating. But she would love it!
Well good luck with your issues.
I sincerely hope you find some balance.
I have good balance. My center of gravity is pretty low so that helps. But of all my problems, balancing isn’t the issue.
You seem…unwell. Wishing for career ending injuries is no bueno.
I’m fine. Wishing injuries does not cause injuries. I’m sure the players don’t care whether fans wish injuries on them.
I forgot Lou trivino was even on the Yankees. He had an oddball season. His ERA with the Athletics was unsustainable given the underlying metrics. Unfortunately, his ERA with the Yankees is probably unsustainable as well. His FIP with the Athletics and Yanks seem to be in agreement even with the extremes of highs and lows in the run prevention department. His FIP seems to point to him being an above average yet unspectacular relief pitcher.
Chris Sale, James Paxton, Carlos Rodon and Jacob deGrom… over under combined starts… 32.
I might take under.
Degrom gets 31 starts? Pretty optimistic, I’d say
How much is Rodon being paid? Lol, lol, lol
Ladies and gentlemen… Carlos Rodon…SOOO Glad the White Sox did not resign this guy and thats not hindsight talk.. the guy is a walking injury..