Yankees Announce the Unlikliest 2025 Opening Day Starter

Rodon is stepping into the role after Gerrit Cole was diagnosed with a torn UCL earlier this month. This injury required Tommy John surgery and will sideline him for the entire 2025 season. The Yankees also lost Luis Gil for at least three months due to a lat strain, leaving their rotation already stretched thin just weeks before Opening Day.

Rodon, who signed a six-year, $162 million contract before the 2023 season, was expected to be a key piece of the Yankees' rotation. But his first season in New York was a disaster. He was derailed by injuries, limiting him to just 14 starts with a 6.85 ERA.

He did not exactly endear himself to Yankees fans with his petulant behavior, either. Those are the same fans who booed Giancarlo Stanton on Opening Day 2018. 

 Last year, he made 29 starts, finishing with a 4.42 ERA over 158 innings.

Boone said it was the logical choice based on their rotation lining up. Also, Rodon was one of the few healthy pitchers. 

Fried, who signed a $218 million contract this offseason, would have had to significantly change up his spring training schedule to make the start on Opening Day. After a spring where Boone talked more about injuries than baseball, they don't want to do anything that challenges their surviving pitchers' routines or health.

Rodon will start his first Opening Day game as a Yankee on March 27 against the Brewers at Yankee Stadium.

With Marcus Stroman, Clarke Schmidt, and an undecided fifth starter rounding out the rotation, the Yankees will rely heavily on Rodón to step up and finally live up to his contract.