Struggling Yankees Starter Gets Early Start in Tampa

There were big expectations surrounding pitcher Carlos Rodón when he signed a six-year, $162 million deal with the New York Yankees last offseason.

When you sign that kind of deal with the Yankees, that’s to be expected. But Rodón didn’t live up to those expectations, in part because he spent most of the season injured.

He started the season on injured list with a muscle strain in his left forearm and spent more time on the injured list after he injured his back. He didn’t make his first start in pinstripes until July 9.

Rodón never got on track. He started 14 games and went 3-8 with a 6.85 ERA as he struck out 64 and walked 28 in 64.1 innings, including an outing in September when he allowed eight runs without recording an out in the first inning.

It was a far cry from his 2022 with the San Francisco Giants. He went 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA, a league-leading 2.25 FIP, a league-leading 12.0 strikeout rate per nine innings and his second All-Star Game nod. He also finished sixth in National League Cy Young voting.

That followed a 2021 in which he went 13-5 with the Chicago White Sox, finishing with a 2.37 ERA, an All-Star Game berth and a fifth-place in Cy Young voting.

The Yankees are certainly hoping that they will get the version of Rodón they thought they signed last offseason. To that end, general manager Brian Cashman revealed during a press conference on Thursday that Rodón has reported to Tampa, the Yankees’ Spring Training home, early.

As in he’s in Tampa right now.

Rodón “looks really good,” according to Cashman.

“(We are) "very optimistic that Rodón can return to form and be the pitcher we know he's capable of being,” Cashman said.

Rodón is 59-54 for his nine-year career with a 3.83 ERA with 1,011 strikeouts and 347 walks.