Carlos Rodón has underwhelming response to disastrous 2023 season with Yankees

Let's preface this by saying most New York Yankees fans fully sympathize with Carlos Rodón. The start to his career with the Bombers was absolutely disastrous and most fans can't even imagine the physical and mental toll that it took on him.

On the other hand, however, Rodón didn't do himself any favors. He taunted Yankees fans in Anaheim when he was booed off the mound. He disrespected pitching coach Matt Blake during his final start of the season, which ended up being an historic dud against the Kansas City Royals.

But the slate is clean. The hellscape 2023 season is over. Hopes are renewed for 2024 after Brian Cashman went out and acquired Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo, Trent Grisham, Marcus Stroman and others.

The fresh start doesn't take off any of the pressure, though. The rotation, on paper, is definitely capable of doing great things, but there are unknown variables in Rodón's bounce back, Nestor Cortes' shoulder issue, Stroman's transition to New York, and Clarke Schmidt's ability to build off a career high in starts and innings.

Rodón remains the biggest question mark, however, because of his $162 million price tag and the Yankees' need for co-ace support behind Gerrit Cole -- something that would change the entire dynamic of a playoff series. That's why some fans are underwhelmed with what Rodón had to say about his 2023 season and what he hopes for 2024.

Carlos Rodón has underwhelming response to disastrous 2023 season with Yankees

“I just feel like I got some stuff to prove and I want to stay on the field a lot longer than I did last year,” Rodón told the New York Post at the Yankees' player development complex.

“I know I’ve got to be better,” Rodon added when asked about outside criticisms regarding his situation with Blake on Sept. 30. “Listen, I’ll be transparent with you. All of us are human. We hear everything. Now whether that eats at you, or do you actually listen and dive into it, that’s a person-by-person basis. But you’re eventually going to crack an egg when you hear it a thousand times. I know I’m being transparent and honest: It is hard, but as a New York Yankee that is our job to keep that shell tough. Good thing it was the end of the year and I got to move on and forget about baseball and come back refreshed and let’s start at it again.”

"Got some stuff to prove?" Sure, perhaps if you're a renowned minimalist with your word choice. Maybe it's way for Rodón to cope and not put too much pressure on himself, but upon his acquisition, he was advertised as the fearless, unhinged bulldog that wouldn't back down from a single challenge and would breathe fire in the face of the Yankees' opponents no matter the situation.

As for the situation with Blake, where Rodón was unquestionably in the wrong, his egg analogy doesn't exactly hit home here. Maybe just apologize, admit you're at fault, and say everything's good? I don't know. Feels like it's a lot simpler than this.

This is only the beginning of Rodón facing the media this offseason. Nobody's even reported to spring training yet. The Yankees' PR courses for players are always a disaster class, so perhaps Rodón might want to seek outside help if he's still lacking in this quality.