Left-handed starter Carlos Rodon has agreed with the New York Yankees in a six-year, $162 million contract, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Thursday.
Rodon, 30, is the top pitcher left on the market after he opted out of a contract with the San Francisco Giants after last season. He is 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA in 2022, notching a career-high 178 innings over 31 starts. He also earned his second straight All-Star selection.
Rodon was the third pick in the 2014 draft by the Chicago White Sox but battled injuries during the first part of his career before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He returned to elite form in 2021 when he compiled a 2.37 ERA over 24 starts, although the White Sox have been cautious with him. He never bowled more than five innings the final two months of the season.
Even with his success that year, the White Sox did not make a bid for Rodon at the end of that season, which resulted in a two-year contract with the Giants. That includes an opt-out he chose to do in November.
Rodon joins the remnants of Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino and Frankie Montas in the Yankees rotation, which ranked fourth overall in last year’s ERA. The rankings showed no struggle in the second half, as the Yankees were eliminated in the postseason by the Houston Astros.
The deal, which was first reported by the New York Post, is the latest for agent Scott Boras, who has had yet another rich offseason. Other deals for his clients include Carlos Correa ($350 million), Xander Bogaerts ($280 million), Brandon Nimmo ($162 million), Masataka Yoshida ($90 million), Taijuan Walker ($72 million), Sean Manaea ($25 million) and Cody Bellinger ( $17.5 million).
According to research by ESPN Stats & Information, the Rodon deal is the second largest contract the Yankees have ever awarded a pitcher in total value, surpassed only by Cole’s $324 million deal in 2019. Rodon earned $1 million more than CC Sabathia’s $161 million deal with the Yankees. in 2008.
Between Rodon and Aaron Judge, who signed a nine-year, $360 million contract to stay with the Yankees earlier this month, the team has guaranteed $522 million in contracts later this season.
Rodon has a 56-46 career record with a 3.60 ERA.
He won’t have to wait long to face his former team the Giants, with the Yankees set to host San Francisco on Opening Day for the 2023 season.
