Signed, Sealed & Delivered: Carlos Rodon Gets Huge 6-Year Deal

The last great free agent pitcher standing, Carlos Rodon, wanted a 7-year contract averaging $30M per season. His biggest and most aggressive suitor, the New York Yankees, wanted to reportedly go 5 years at $25M/season. The two sides have now come to a compromise, and Rodon is a Yankee for six years at $27M per. 

Left-hander Carlos Rodón and the New York Yankees are in agreement on a six-year, $162 million contract, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 16, 2022

The total value is $162M, with a full no-trade clause. Not bad for a pitcher who had to bet on himself a year ago as teams were leery of whether he could remain healthy. He took a 2-year deal with an opt-out with the San Francisco Giants at $22M AVV. He ended up having his second straight All-Star season, staying healthy and starting 31 games, with a 2.88 ERA. 

Now the Yankees will slot him into a scary rotation that already features Gerrit Cole, breakout star Nestor Cortes and a revitalized Luis Severino. And then there's this wild stat scraped up by the brilliant Sarah Langs:

Gerrit Cole (3.50 ERA) & Nestor Cortes (2.44 ERA) each made 25+ starts for NYY in 2022

Carlos Rodón had a 2.88 ERA in 31 starts

The last time the Yankees had 3 pitchers with a 3.50 ERA or lower, min 25 GS each, in a season:

1972 -- Steve Kline, Fritz Peterson, Mel Stottlemyre

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) December 16, 2022

Cole and Cortes, both with ERAs 3.50 or under, each made 25+ starts in 2022; Rodon joins that 25+ start/<3.50 ERA club. The last time the Yankees had a trio with those numbers in the rotation was a full 50 years ago. 1972, Steve Kline, Fritz Peterson, Mel Stottlemyre. 

Photo: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports