As this series grows closer and closer to its end, we come upon contracts that can’t be assessed on the whole, because they are still underway. Over the last handful of offseasons, the Yankees have put a particular emphasis on left-handed starting pitching, as much of their resources of flowed in that direction of late. One of the main benefactors of this was Carlos Rodón, who signed prior to the 2023 season.
A one-time prized pitching prospect who experienced a post-injury renaissance in his late-20s, Rodón ascended to become one of baseball’s most dominant starters, and got a major pay day from the Yankees as a result. Now halfway through their six-year agreement, the results have been a bit mixed for the lefty, but he is coming off of some of his finest work in 2025.
Carlos Rodón
Signing Date: December 21, 2022
Contract: Six years, $162 million
Carlos Rodón grew up in North Carolina, and displayed prowess on the mound that was immediately evident to major league eyes. He was drafted out of high school in 2011, but made the jump to the pros a few years later, when he was selected with the third overall pick in the 2014 amateur draft by the White Sox.
The hard-throwing lefty made his MLB debut with Chicago a year later in 2015, and put together a very solid rookie campaign in 139.1 innings on the South Side. Over his first four seasons with the Sox, Rodón had some solid stretches on the bump, and worked out to a roughly average run preventor, though he was only able to top 140 innings once from 2015 to ‘18. From there, his career really began to take a turn for the worse. The then 26-year-old missed most of the 2019 and 2020 seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery, and pitched poorly when he was on the mound.
Rodón fell far enough to be non-tendered by the White Sox following the 2020 season, before being re-signed on a one-year deal. The move may have served as some kind of wake-up call, however, as post-injury Rodón seemed to be a different animal. A no-hitter against Cleveland in April of ‘21 helped to kick off a career-year for the lefty. In 132.2 innings (his most in half a decade), he boasted a 2.37 ERA and 2.65 FIP, while striking out an impressive 185 batters along the way, helping him earn his first career All-Star selection not long after it appeared his days in the big leagues were numbered.
The left-hander parlayed the late breakout season into a two-year, $45 million contract with the Giants prior to the 2022 season, with the second year being a player option, and he was able to pick up right where he left off. With San Francisco Rodón was perhaps even better, pitching a then-career-high 178 innings with a sub-3 ERA once again, and FIP and K/9 numbers that both led the league. As a Giant, the lefty amassed a career-best 237 strikeouts —the Rodón-aissance was in full effect, and it was happening at just the right time. With back-to-back top-six Cy Young finishes now in tow, Rodón hit free agency once again after declining his player option.
Not too long after the season ended, in December of 2022, Rodón cashed in by signing a six-year contract with the Yankees for $162 million. The excitement was easy to see, as the lefty had suddenly become one of the sport’s best pitchers, but his tenure in New York got off to a brutal start. He began the 2023 season on the injured list with forearm problems, not to mention that the 64.1 innings he did pitch upon returning were some of the worst in his career. Off the bat, the contract looked like a miss, as the resurfaced injury trouble, increasing walk rate, and ERA approaching 7.00 indicated they had signed someone very different than the two-time All-Star. It all came to a close with an absolute disaster of a regular-season finale, Rodón recording zero outs in eight batters faced, allowing six runs, and infamously turning his back on pitching coach Matt Blake.
Despite all that, Rodón rebounded nicely in his second season with the Yankees, his age-31 campaign. The left-handed starter returned at least partially to form in pinstripes, as he tossed 175 innings, and racked up just shy of 200 strikeouts. He seemed to have his health back, which was obviously a priority, and the pitching was much better than that of the nightmare season he had just come off of.
Rodón was vital in the postseason as well, as he made four starts in their pennant-winning October. This stretch included a pair of starts in the ALCS against Cleveland, which saw him give up three runs in over 10 innings of work, striking out 15 in total.
A season later, in 2025, Carlos Rodón fully arrived, and helped to show why the Yankees made the commitment they did. Prior to the start of the season, the club received the crushing news that they’d be without ace Gerrit Cole for the entire season, making a successful season from their $162 million man all the more important. Now tasked with that additional pressure, Rodón delivered with one of the better seasons of his career in the major leagues.
For starters, the lefty tossed a career-high 195.1 innings, particularly important when considering Cole’s absence. On top of the durability needed to make 33 starts, Rodón pitched to the tune of 3.09 ERA, and reclaimed some of his strikeout prowess, topping 200 for the second time in his career. For the most part, this was the pitcher the Yankees signed, and he was recognized accordingly, with another All-Star selection and more down-ballot love in the Cy Young voting (sixth-place finish).
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 15: Carlos Rodón #55 of the New York Yankees pitches against the National League during the second inning of the MLB All-Star Game at Truist Park on July 15, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Gene Wang – Capture At Media/Getty Images) Getty Images
He was once again saddled with a significant role in the postseason for 2025, and although he made a solid start in the Wild Card round, he tossed a dud in his start against the Blue Jays in the Division Series.
Carlos Rodón’s career in the majors has been one full of ups and downs, and in all fairness, the veteran pitcher has shown time and again his ability to get back up after difficult stretches. What originally seemed to be a prospect-to-bust career arc for Rodón turned into a couple of All-Star seasons, and eventually a nine-figure deal with the Yankees. After that deal started on a rather rough note, the lefty proved himself once again with one of the better seasons of his career, with an uncharacteristically large workload at the age of 32.
With his contract now at the midway point, it is difficult to fully assess the success of the move. There was a lost season to begin the deal, and Rodón will begin the 2026 season on the injured list as well. But, he was vital to the team over the last two seasons, and his most recent work was some of the best we’ve seen from him. The jury is still out, but there’s little reason to expect any steep decline from the talented hurler — and either way, his signing was a significant one to the construction of this club.
See more of the “50 Most Notable Yankees Free Agent Signings in 50 Years” series here.