Carlos Rodón might be the biggest beneficiary of Yankees signing Max Fried

When the New York Yankees signed Carlos Rodón to a six-year, $162 million contract after the 2022 season, it was believed he would immediately become Gerrit Cole's co-ace and prevent a steep drop-off in talent in the starting rotation.

But what New York got in return for Year 1 of the deal was a nightmare. Rodón got off to the worst possible start, suffering multiple injuries before even debuting in pinstripes. Those lingering injuries prevented him from putting forth consistent playing time, which only worsened his output. He finished with a 6.85 ERA, 5.79 FIP, and 1.45 WHIP across 14 starts (totaling 64 1/3 innings).

That came the season after he led the National League in FIP (2.25) and strikeouts per nine innings (12). Throw in the worst start of his career and a public spat with pitching coach Matt Blake, and that's how Rodón ended the 2023 season in Kansas City.

Although it conceivably could not get worse in 2024, Rodón still left a lot to be desired. He had a bit of a rollercoaster campaign, finishing with a markedly better 3.96 ERA, 4.39 FIP and 1.22 WHIP with 195 strikeouts in 32 starts (175 innings), but it just wasn't adequate. Not to mention, he "got too excited" in his first postseason start and got rocked to suffer a loss against the Royals in the ALDS. His ALCS was very good, but then he cost the Yankees in a narrow 4-2 loss in Game 2 of the World Series by getting chased after 3 1/3 innings.

Carlos Rodón will benefit greatly from Yankees' Max Fried addition

Water under the bridge, though. Rodón wasn't the only person who fell short in the World Series, and the Yankees are turning the page after Juan Soto's departure. The 2025 season feels like an much-needed blank slate.

Fast forward a couple months after the the Dodgers celebrated on the field at Yankee Stadium, and Brian Cashman signed Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract. Is Fried going to solve all of the Yankees problems? No, but he's an impact addition whose most important asset could be helping unlock Rodón.

The untimely injuries Rodón suffered upon his arrival put him in a terrible spot. His body wasn't allowing him to perform and, from a mental perspective, the pressure mounted. There hasn't been a moment thus far in his Yankees tenure where he wasn't digging out of a hole in order to get back to his 2021-2022 form.

Now, with Fried, a World Series champion, Cy Young candidate and Gold Glover, backing Cole as the first line of defense, Rodón can settle into a lesser role to help lengthen out the rotation in elite fashion. Without carrying that weight, Rodón can perhaps take some pressure off of himself and go through the motions to help rediscover his consistency and ability to dominate high-leverage starts.

The Yankees have long neglected their rotation. Even when they won it all in 2009, they didn't have enough starters. Everything just got worse until they signed Cole after the 2019 season. Now, they have Cole, Fried, Rodón, Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt and Marcus Stroman, which would hands down be the best in the league if the Dodgers didn't exist.

But who's to say this group can't do better than LA? Cole and Fried have consistently been among the best in the game. Gil is one of the best young starters in baseball, with the hardware to prove it. Schmidt can hold his own. Rodón has proven he can be in the Cole/Fried group, but he's currently lost his way. A healthy offseason of hard work and realigned expectations might be all that he needs to regain his peak powers.

Or, at least we hope. Trying to be positive here, knowing that his $27 million AAV will eventually hold the Yankees back from making an impact move at some point, so we'd like this to not become a Stroman situation come next offseason.