Chicago White Sox: Carlos Rodón doesn’t receive qualifying offer

On Sunday, the Chicago White Sox chose not to extend a qualifying offer to their left-handed starter Carlos Rodón, sending him to the open market. On Friday, in Rick Hahn’s end-of-season press conference, he mentioned that the White Sox would like to figure out a way to bring Rodón back in some capacity.

The left-handed pitcher had an excellent season but will again face questions about his health heading into free agency. Rodón ended the season as an All-Star with a 13-5 record, 2.37 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, racking up 185 strikeouts and totaling a WAR of 5.0.

Rodón finally lived up to his potential as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 draft under Ethan Katz but left shoulder soreness limited his availability in the second half of the season. The shoulder issue bothered him enough that the White Sox had to space out his starts and even raised questions about his availability for the postseason until just a few days before Game 4 of the American League Division Series when he was officially named the starter.

Although, this isn’t the first time the White Sox have dealt with the left-hander being a free agent as they non-tendered him last offseason and brought him back to the Southside on a cheaper deal. Although Rodón was stellar in 2021, those health questions will surround Rodón as he enters free agency and could affect his market.

Carlos Rodon may not be back with the 2022 Chicago White Sox after a great year.

The rotation does seem to be set for the team in 2022, with Lance Lynn returning after signing an extension, Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease, and Dallas Keuchel all still under contract and Michael Kopech set to move from the bullpen to the starting rotation.

The White Sox may try to move Dallas Keuchel after the veteran had a forgettable 2021 season in hopes of replacing him with Rodón. As free agency unfolds, we will see how the White Sox approach their situation with the All-Star left-hander and if they can bring him back.

As both Rodón and the White Sox head into free agency this offseason, there will be mutual interest on both sides but one thing is for sure, the White Sox won’t be bringing him back on a one-year deal worth $18.4 million.