The offseason so far is a work in progress for the New York Yankees. With various positions to fill and areas to improve, the current starting rotation is one to pay attention to. Eyes should be on Carlos Rodón, who was on and off last season, with his postseason struggles coming to the fore.
The Yankees are in a good situation with regard to starting pitching. The club has six technical starting pitchers. There are talks of the Yankees wanting to relieve themselves of Marcus Stroman and his remaining $18 million contract. The team may use Stroman as collateral for a trade, possibly for a corner infielder. If the club decides to move another pitcher, would Carlos Rodón be the next best option?
Carlos Rodón’s Postseason Inconsistency Raises Questions on His Reliability
On paper, Rodón looks like a great fit for most starting rotations in MLB. The totality of his statistics shows him as reliable and effective. Although he does mostly get the job done within the regular season (although he had a rough 2023 in his first season as a Yankee), Rodón is shaky and inconsistent in the postseason.
The left-handed starter’s first point of concern was in-game depth. Rodon started four games this postseason, only making it past four innings once. He threw 17 2/3 total innings, allowing 21 hits, 11 earned runs, and a 5.60 ERA.
Each of his starts was valued above a 4.00 ERA. In his first start on October 7th against the Kansas City Royals in the American League Division Series, he recorded a 9.82 ERA. Royals hitters averaged .389 against him,
His longevity is a concern along with his pitch effectiveness. This October, hitters dug in comfortably against Rodón. 21 hits and five home runs in four postseason starts tell us that batters understand Rodón and will be aggressive with him.
Batters swing in the zone against Rodon 70.7% with a 79.7% zone-contact rate. He’s in the zone 46.7% of the time. In the 2024 postseason, Rodón threw 210 strikes out of 313 pitches thrown. He obviously stays in the zone too much.
One recommendation here is for him to work off the zone and utilize more of his breaking pitches while keeping the fastball for late at-bat blow-bys.
Rodón’s Overall Showing in 2024
Rodón’s overall season stats are what get him his sizable paycheck and why he is considered elite. His performance over 32 games versus five games weighs more. However, his performance in those five postseason games ultimately affects the team’s overall goal.
In 32 starts, Rodón threw 175 innings allowing 77 earned runs, 31 home runs, 195 strikeouts, 57 walks, and a 3.69 ERA. He finished the year with a 16-9 record.
Rodón was well over .500 and threw quality games for the Yankees. His success in the regular season is where his value showed. His 16 wins helped the Yankees win the division and eventually proceed all the way to the World Series. It was his performance after the regular season that was the issue.
Contract Details
In terms of moving Rodón, it’s not going to happen. He’s a veteran left-hander with a wide arsenal and proven success. He’s in the Bronx to stay for the time being. With the addition of Max Fried, the Yankees now have two left-handers in the rotation.
Rodón has completed two years of a six-year, $162 million contract. His postseason performance in a five-game sample is not enough to dictate a move out of the Bronx. However, it is a wake-up call to the starting pitcher and the club.
Rodon earns $27 million per year. A $162 million pitcher should last at least five or six quality postseason innings each start.
Marcus Stroman did not impress Yankees management with his 2024 performance. Now, he is on the trading block after one season, with $18 million remaining on his contract. To avoid a similar fate, Carlos Rodón needs to continue to succeed in the regular season and become more reliable in the postseason rotation.
