The battle for left-handed starting pitcher Carlos Rodon – the top remaining free agent – could come down to a rematch between New York and San Francisco (though there are believed to be a few other teams in the mix, as well).
The Yankees are prepared to make an offer to Rodon, their top remaining target, and appear hopeful, if not optimistic. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering how this winter has transpired. The Yankees defeated the Giants (who are also after Rodon) for their own superstar Aaron Judge, while the Mets retained Brandon Nimmo, preventing him from joining the Giants as well.
Carlos Rodon AP
Although the Yankees loved Rodon from the beginning, Judge is partially responsible for this pursuit, as he informed managing partner Hal Steinbrenner upon signing his $360 million contract that he desired a handful more enhancements. The Yankees would want to delight Judge, who accepted less money than he might have gotten in San Diego or, presumably, San Francisco, which set the number with that offer but could have surely offered more.
In 2022, Rodon was a member of the Giants, where he excelled, with a 2.88 ERA, 237 strikeouts over 178 innings, and leading the league among qualifiers with 12 strikeouts per nine innings and a 2.20 FIP. But Rodon, who turned 30 on Saturday, is a native of Miami, and the Yankees appear to believe they have a reasonable or better chance here as well.
Several other teams, including the Rangers, Dodgers, Orioles, and Twins, have been linked to Rodon, and the Red Sox and Cardinals are among those scouting the pitching market. Kodai Senga, Chris Bassitt, Nate Eovaldi, and Ross Stripling are among the other top starters still available, with Rodon, Bassitt, and Eovaldi holding qualifying offers.
Giants baseball president Farhan Zaidi correctly stated at the beginning of the offseason that it can be difficult to attract players from outside the Bay Area to San Francisco. However, the Giants did sign Mitch Haniger, who is from San Jose, and bring back Joc Peterson, who is from Palo Alto, California. Aaron Judge is from Linden, California, two hours away.
»Yankees are preparing an offer for Carlos Rodon in a rematch with the Giants«