The Chicago White Sox has made Carlos Rodon a free agent after not extending an $18.4 million qualifying offer to the left-hander. Rodon is coming off the best season of his major league career, has a fastball that touches 99 mph, and has MLB super agent Scott Boras representing him. Let the games begin.
There should be a healthy market for southpaw’s services. All-star starting pitchers don’t grow on trees. Carlos Rodon demonstrated in 2021 that when healthy, he can pitch as good as any starter in the game. He posted a 13-5 record to go along with a 2.31 ERA and a .096 WHIP. He also logged 185 strikeouts and tossed a no-hitter in April. That’s Cy Young material.
"“When you think about sculpting a pitching staff, you’re thinking, ‘Man, the target without a doubt is Rodon,’ ’’ Scott Boras told the Chicago Sun-Times."
Boras has made it known that Rodon is seeking a multi-year deal. The White Sox remains in the mix. Rick Hahn has also expressed interest in a reunion if the price is right. There is an inherent risk in investing big money into Rodon.
Carlos Rodon was outstanding for the Chicago White Sox during the 2021 season.
He struggles to stay healthy. In 2021 he made 24 starts but was limited during the second half of the season with shoulder fatigue. In the previous two seasons, injuries limited him to just 13 total starts.
Boras claims that Rodon’s shoulder is fully healthy and the fatigue was due to the jump in innings pitched after the shortened COVID-19 season. Regardless, after watching him bow out of his lone ALDS start after emptying the tank on 56 pitches, questions still remain.
There is no doubt that he compliments the rest of the White Sox starting rotation well and would be an asset in their quest to bring home a World Series championship. However, his price tag in the eyes of the White Sox is yet to be seen. In the meantime, he is sure to receive other offers. Here would be three perfect landing spots for Carlos Rodon: