Chicago White Sox: 3 perfect landing spots for Carlos Rodon
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:
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are the perfect fit for Carlos Rodon in free agency.
The Detroit Tigers have signaled that they are spending money this offseason. With a young and hungry team that overachieved last season, Detroit seems to be on the cusp of taking the next step. Their front office seems to think so too.
They inked a deal with left-handed pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez to a five-year deal. Rodriguez finished sixth in the Cy Young voting in 2019. Adding him to a pitching staff that already includes the talented young arm of Casey Mize will help bolster the rotation. The addition of Carlos Rodon would help round it out.
The Tigers ranked 17th in team ERA in 2021 with a 4.32 mark. They could certainly use the boost in the rotation. Rodón would give the Tigers three legitimate starting pitchers which could be enough for the team to compete for a Wild Card spot if their offense continues to improve and their prospects pan out.
The Tigers could have some more strikeout pitchers. Their pitching staff ranked 26th in baseball in total strikeouts. In today’s game, keeping the ball out of play is a valuable asset. Rodon’s has that box checked. His devasting slider and blazing fastball make him a strikeout machine.
In fact, Rodón tied the record for the fives games in a season with 10 plus strikeouts and two or fewer hits allowed since 1901. Rodon’s familiarity with the American League Central division is also a plus. The Tigers got money to spend and need more starting pitching which makes Rodon an optimal target for them.
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs landing Carlos Rodon would be interesting for him and his family.
The Chicago Cubs were one of the teams that were taking a serious look at Carlos Rodon last offseason. They even attended one of his workouts. Ultimately, Rodon returned to the south side but that doesn’t mean the Cubs won’t try to poach him again.
The Cubs are likely not going to go after free agents that received a qualifying offer because it would mean losing their second-highest pick in the 2022 MLB draft. This makes free agents, like Rodon, who did not receive a qualifying offer, a priority target.
The Cubs need starting pitching. They already signed Wade Miley in an effort to patch up the rotation. Miley is coming off a 6.0 WAR showing with the Reds and posted a 3.37 ERA in 2021. The Cubs are not done adding to the rotation. Cubs general manager, Jed Hoyer, has emphasized that the starting rotation is a top priority for his squad this offseason.
The Cub’s rotation in 2021 put too much pressure on their defense. Their staff threw a major league-leading 5,088 pitches that were two-seamers or sinkers last season. Those tend to be the easiest pitches to put in play. They also ranked last in the MLB in an average fastball velocity of 89.7 mph. Rodon can help on both of those fronts.
Despite missing starts due to soreness, Rodon still managed to rack up 185 strikeouts. He averaged an absurd 12.55 K/9 innings. The southpaw can also chuck it with the best of them. His fastball reached 100 mph on multiple occasions in 2021. He is the perfect power pitcher to complement Kyle Hendricks’s soft style of pitching.
Carlos Rodon could be the missing piece of the puzzle. Featured next to Miley, Kyle Hendricks, Albert Alzolay, and potentially Alec Mills, the Cubs would have a respectable five-man rotation.
New York Yankees
Carlos Rodon would be a perfect fit for the New York Yankees this winter.
After toiling away through a rebuild for most of his career, Carlos Rodon likely wants to play for a contender. The big market and pinstripes of the New York Yankees could be beckoning Carlos Rodon.
The Yankees are desperate to build a winner. They were aggressive at the trade deadline, adding Anthony Rizzo, Joey Gallo, Andrew Heaney, Clay Holmes, and Joely Rodríguez. Their offense features two of the best power hitters in the game with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. However, their starting rotation needs help.
The Andrew Heaney signing turned out to be a disaster. After getting shelled to the tune of a 7.32 with the Yankees. They need another left-handed starter in the rotation.
The Yankees also lost J.A. Happ and Masahiro Tanaka this offseason and are set to lose James Paxton, too. They signed Corey Kluber and traded for Jameson Taillon but need to keep working. Kluber is likely venturing into free agency.
Gerrit Cole is a Cy Young finalist so what the Yankees need is a legitimate number two behind him. Luis Severino hasn’t pitched as a starter in a while after being hampered with injuries and there is no telling how he will fair once he returns.
Carlos Rodón could be that guy. A dominant starter to help get the Yankees over the top. Rodon has pitched well in New York. In his last outing in the Bronx, he threw six scoreless innings and struck out 13. The one-two punch of Cole and Rodon would be as fearsome as any in baseball.
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