Carlos Rodón Living Up to Massive Yankees Contract

After a shaky first year, the New York Yankees' decision to pony up and pay a ton of cash to Carlos Rodón is finally working in their favor.

By nature, signing pitchers to massive contracts comes with a ton of inherent risk that isn't quite as pertinent in regards to position players.

In an era where velocity and improving one's "stuff" are at a premium, there's been an uptick in pitching injuries over recent years. As a result, organizations have become more weary of investing major resources into free-agent arms, knowing that the chances of a negative return on investment are always increasing.

The Yankees haven't been deterred by that fact, though, notably signing CC Sabathia and Gerrit Cole to record-breaking pitching deals ahead of the 2009 and 2019 campaigns, respectively.

They weren't snakebitten in either instance, even when considering that Cole underwent Tommy John surgery and is out for the entirety of the 2025 season, and their decision to pay Max Fried $218 million over eight years has looked smart over his first 10 outings for the team as well.

Rodón, however, was a different story. After establishing himself as one of MLB's top starters for the Chicago White Sox in 2021 and San Francisco Giants in 2022, posting a combined 2.67 ERA, 2.47 FIP and 422 strikeouts in 310 2/3 innings, he signed a six-year, $162 million with New York before the 2023 season.

The former No. 3 overall pick had battled through a laundry list of injuries at the onset of his major league career, undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2019 and pitching in just 43 contests from 2017 to 2020.

It was more of the same for Rodón during his first year with the Yankees, as he sustained a forearm strain in spring training that landed him on the injured list before Opening Day.

Upon his eventual return that July, which was delayed by a chronic back issue, the southpaw simply never looked like himself. While also dealing with a hamstring injury later in the campaign, Rodón recorded a 6.85 ERA in 14 starts and saw nearly all of his peripherals take a substantial hit in the process.

He took a major step forward in 2024, however, logging a 3.96 ERA, 4.39 FIP and 195 strikeouts in 32 outings totaling 175 innings during the regular season before putting up a 5.60 ERA in four playoff starts.

The 2025 version of Rodón, though, is his best since heading to New York. His six-inning shutout against the Texas Rangers on May 22 lowered his ERA to 2.88 through 11 starts and 65 2/3 frames, and he also boasts a sparkling 3.27 SIERA alongside 10.96 strikeouts per nine.

His average four-seam-fastball velocity of 94.0 mph is the lowest of his career, but it's held opposing batters to a .211 average and remained an effective offering for the 32-year-old

Furthermore, Rodón's slider has suddenly become the star of his arsenal with a run value of eight according to Baseball Savant, generating a 44.6 percent whiff rate and a 111 Stuff+.

The Yankees desperately needed Rodón to raise his game with both Cole and Luis Gil on the mend to begin the season, and he's done just that.

His contract appeared as though it had disaster potential in 2023, but he's finally regained his prior form while living up to expectations, if not exceeding them.

Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more!

• Yankees Could Get Jazz Chisholm Back Sooner Than Expected
• Yankees Legend Believes Juan Soto Still Has a Chance
• Yankees Rookie Makes History With Crazy Month
• Former Yankees Prospect Sends Warning to Current Players
• Yankees Named Landing Spot for Former Astros Villain