When the New York Yankees signed Carlos Rodon they thought they had found a perfect tag team partner for Gerrit Cole. But things turned out to be wildly different from what the Yankees had envisioned. Rodon had maybe the weakest season of his career in 2023 and was one of the primary reasons why the Bronx bombed so hard. But it seems the Pinstripes haven’t lost hopes with the pitcher yet.

The Bombers are linked to pitchers like Jordan Montgomery and Shota Imanaga. But even then, the franchise hopes their current rotation also rises to the occasion after a collective failure in 2023. Can Rodon turn out to be a leader of that resurrection?

Carlos Rodon to rewrite his New York Yankees story?

Before arriving at the Yankees in 2023, Rodon was a part of the All-Star team for two consecutive seasons. He arrived with much fanfare, with Yankees Nation having high expectations from him. As the New York Daily News wrote, “The team gave him an average annual salary of $27 million with the expectation that he would be the Robin to Gerrit Cole’s Batman.” 

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Rodon was to be a perfect hook for Cole’s jabs. Everything was lined up for him but then an injury bug bit him. Rodon was on the IL and extended that stay due to a back injury. By the time of his debut, the season he had already crossed the two-month mark. But the tragedy didn’t end there.

Even after returning from recovery, Rodon was a mere shadow of his former shelf. The lowest point came when in a game against Kansas City Royals, Rodon gave up 9 runs in the first inning and got no outs! This was the moment when many fans turned on Rodon and called him a massive disappointment. 

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But things could turn for the pitcher yet. Injuries and bad form could’ve derailed his first season with the Yankees but he has only up to go from here. The Yankees seem to believe that as well.

The Bronx still believes in Rodon

During the GM meetings in November, Brian Cashman hoped to see the best of Carlos Rodon in 2024, “I’m looking forward to him and others coming back being closer to what we expected than what we got.” Since then, the Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone has also shown belief in the pitcher.

Everyone knows that were it not for injuries, Rodon might have carried forward his 2022 form to the Pinstripes. Yet as luck would have it, things took a wild turn. But even with all the trust, the Bombers are not putting all of their stock on Rodon. 

The team is actively looking for other pitchers as well. Though Rodon’s place seems safe for now, if his bad form persists in 2024, things could change for him on that front as well.

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