The Yankees’ interest in free agent starting pitcher Carlos Rodon is real — and it goes both ways.
The Yankees’ front office has stayed engaged with Rodon’s representatives at Boras Corp, and the Big Apple is among his preferred destinations, a person with knowledge of the discussions told NJ Advance Media on Thursday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
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At the MLB Winter Meetings this week in San Diego, the Yankees publicly praised Rodon, who turns 30 years old on Saturday.
“He’s a great pitcher,” general manager Brian Cashman said while on the YES Network. “No doubt about it.”
“You’re talking about a really talented guy who is obviously really starting to realize his potential in this game the last couple of years,” manager Aaron Boone said.
Of course, it’s going to come down to money and how much the Yankees are willing to spend on a top-flight starting pitcher after just handing right fielder Aaron Judge a $360-million nine-year deal.
A different person with knowledge of the discussions said that, as of earlier this week, Rodon was pushing for a six-year deal with approximately $30 million a year.
The Yankees could use a starting rotation upgrade after losing Jameson Taillon to the Cubs in free agency. Behind ace Gerrit Cole, they have Nestor Cortes, who was an All-Star for the first time last season, Frankie Montas and Luis Severino. Clarke Schmidt and Domingo German would currently battle for the fifth spot. The Yankees traded a lot of minor-league pitching depth at the deadline last year.
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Rodon has pitched like an ace the last two seasons. Over 55 starts, he posted a 2.67 ERA with a 12.2 K/9. He has a long injury history that includes shoulder and elbow problems, but he made 31 starts and pitched 178 innings last year.
“There’s certainly an intent and an interest from our part to find ways to continue to improve this team,” Cashman said. “We’ve hit the ground running here at the Winter Meetings. Players are making decisions. It seems like the free agent market is moving. The trade market has been a little quiet. I’m sure that will change sooner than later, too. But no doubt that we have to explore all options that are available to us. I’ll stay engaged with our owner to see what can materialize out of that. But, yeah, if we could add some more pitching, it would be a benefit.”
“I think they’re up there exploring every option and we’ll see where everything ends up,” Boone said.
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Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected].