NEW YORK — The New York Yankees added Carlos Rodón to their rotation on Thursday, agreeing to a $162 million, six-year contract with the left-hander, a person familiar with the negotiations said.
The person confirmed the contract to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it was pending a physical.
New York took care of its most pressing question when it persuaded AL MVP Aaron Judge to stay in the Bronx with a $360 million, nine-year contract — baseball’s biggest free agent deal ever. But the contract for Rodón is an addition for the reigning AL East champions.
Rodón went 14-8 this year with a 2.88 ERA in his lone season with the San Francisco Giants, setting career highs for wins, starts (31), innings (178) and strikeouts (237). He also earned his second straight All-Star selection.
Just two years ago, Rodón was non-tendered by the White Sox after another injury-riddled season. But he re-signed with his first big league team for a $3 million, one-year deal, and then started to show the form that made the lefty the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 amateur draft.
Working with White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz, Rodón went 13-5 with a career-low 2.37 ERA in 24 starts in 2021. He threw a no-hitter against Cleveland that April that was his first career shutout and second complete game.
Rodón, a Florida native who turns 30 on Dec. 10, agreed to a $44 million, two-year contract with San Francisco in March. But he opted out after one season, giving up a $22.5 million salary for next year and becoming a free agent.
Rodón looked like a potential star when he went 5-2 with a 1.81 ERA over the last eight starts of his rookie season with Chicago in 2015. But injuries kept getting in his way.
He was limited to 12 starts in 2017 because of left biceps bursitis and left shoulder inflammation, and then had arthroscopic shoulder surgery that September.
He began the 2018 season on the injured list while he recovered from the shoulder operation and then returned that June. But he had Tommy John surgery on May 15, 2019, cutting short another season.
Rodón is 56-46 with a 3.60 ERA in 152 major league appearances over eight seasons. He has 947 strikeouts in 847 1/3 innings.
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