This is an absurd amount for a player with arm problems.”

Carlos Rodon (30), the largest remaining pitcher in the US major league free agent (FA) market, headed to the New York Yankees. John Heyman of the New York Post wrote on his SNS on the 16th (Korean time), “Rodon signed a contract with the Yankees for 6 years and 162 million dollars (approximately 212 billion won). He initially reported that it included the right to veto a trade with his former club. 

Reporter Bob Nightingale of USA Today said, ‘The contract is $5 million. He will receive an annual salary of $22 million in 2023 and an annual salary of $27 million for five years from 2024 to 2028,’ he explained the details of the contract. 

Rodon was resurrected ahead of free agency. He was released as a non-tender by the Chicago White Sox at the end of the 2020 season and was given another chance with a one-year, $3 million contract. He came out on the free agent market in 2021, playing an active role in 24 games, 132⅔ innings, 13 wins, 5 losses, an average ERA of 2.37, and 185 strikeouts. 

After his contract was delayed due to his job lockout, he signed a two-year, $44 million contract with the San Francisco Giants just before the season. An opt-out clause was included after one year. In the end, Rodon left a score that could claim an opt-out. He went 14-8 with a 2.88 earned run average and 237 strikeouts in 31 games and 178 innings, and was re-evaluated in the free agent market and hit the jackpot with the Yankees.

However, there is great concern that the large amount of money the Yankees gave to Rodon will be a ‘malicious contract’. There are already critical views. maybe it’s natural Rodon’s career has always been plagued with injuries. He was drafted by the White Sox in the first round of the 2014 draft and was expected to debut straight away in 2015, but injuries put Rodon’s career on hold.

Injuries have not stopped since 2016. He went 9-10 with a 4.04 earned run average in 28 games and 165 innings in 2016, but suffered a left wrist injury. Then in 2017, he underwent arthroscopic surgery on a left shoulder injury and started the 2018 season on the 60-day injured list. In 2019, he even underwent Tommy John surgery on his elbow after starting seven games. Even in 2020, a shortened season, he only threw 7⅔ innings in 4 games (2 starts). Even in the second half of 2021, when his comeback was evaluated as successful, he was also on the injured list due to shoulder fatigue. 

Immediately after the announcement of Rodon’s contract, the North American sports media The Athletic said, “Rodon received the second highest amount in the free agent market after Jacob deGrom (Texas, 5 years, $ 185 million). And he also shares a long injury history. Rodon, who had not been healthy for two consecutive years since his debut in 2015, eventually received a six-year, $162 million contract with the Yankees. The Yankees appear to be betting on staying healthy.’

The media said, ‘Rodon is one of the best pitchers in the National League, with the best performance of his career last year. “When healthy, Rodon can punch a one-two with Gerrit Cole and help ease the uncertainty of other starting pitchers.” He praised Rodon’s ability itself. With Cole and Nestor Cortes, you can solidly build a top starting lineup. He can also erase the insecurities of Frankie Montas, who he brought in a trade this year but was a flop.

However, his injury history was pinpointed. The media said, ‘He suffered from shoulder arthroscopic surgery in 2017, Tommy John surgery in 2019, and shoulder fatigue in 2021. He missed most of 2017, part of 2018, and most of 2019 and 2020,’ he said. He made 30 or more starts for the first time this year,’ he recalled, reminding him that injuries have always followed him. 안전놀이터

This is why the Yankees do not understand the large amount of money that Rodon has received. The media said, ‘I don’t know how you can assume that a pitcher who has wasted so much time with shoulder and elbow injuries will be healthy. Two of them were major surgeries,’ he said. ‘The Yankees could get just three seasons of innings in six years with Rodon. I’m pessimistic, but the Yankees may get fewer innings. It’s nice to see Rodon being treated, but I think he should have signed a four-year contract, let alone six. It’s an outrageous amount for a player with arm problems,’ he emphasized.