On Thursday, the New York Yankees made a key move to strengthen their starting rotation, signing left-hander Carlos Rodon to a six-year, $162 million contract.
The ace won 14 games and posted a 2.88 ERA in 31 starts and 178 innings of work with the San Francisco Giants.
The lefty had signed a two-year deal with the Giants prior to the start of the 2022 season, but opted out after year one.
This comes just over a week after New York retained American League MVP Aaron Judge.
Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner promised Judge that once his contract was handled, they would do more to improve the team.
With the addition of Rodon, the Yankees kept their promise.
Hal Steinbrenner promised Aaron Judge that they could handle his contract and still do more to improve the club. By adding Carlos Rodón, the #Yankees delivered.
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) December 16, 2022
Rodon To Bronx
The Yankees starting rotation is now their biggest strength.
They now feature a top three of Rodon, Gerrit Cole, and Nestor Cortes.
In addition to their top three, the Yankees also have Luis Severino and Frankie Montas under contract for one more year.
New York was in need of a starter after trading Jordan Montgomery to St. Louis and losing Jameson Taillon in free agency to the Chicago Cubs.
The team won 99 games in 2022 and captured their first American League East title since 2019.
With Rodon on board, the Yankees have cemented themselves as the clear-cut favorite to win the East in 2023.
The veteran lefty spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Chicago White Sox before his brief stop in San Francisco.
Now, Rodon will be the ace of the Yankees staff for the next six years and will lead a stacked rotation.
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