Carlos Rodon talks about a big game and promises to give his all every day, which will be key for the Yankees.
The New York Yankees acquired Carlos Rodon this winter as a free agent. The 30-year-old left-handed pitcher agreed to a six-year, $162 million deal, which made headlines as one of the top free-agent signings of the offseason.
During a question and answer with columnist Steve Serby, Carlos Rodon spoke his mind stating that he is ready to play for his new team. Assembling some powerful responses. Rodon showed his mindset and calmness for pitching in New York. Answering the question of what drives him, he said that
“Baseball’s a game of failure, right? I don’t like failing, so every time I fail seems like I always want to get punched in the face again, so I always come back for more. I always just try to beat the game even though this game will never be beaten, it’ll beat you. You win sometimes, a lot of times you take a lot of punches, I guess … It’s never-ending, it’s always evolving. I can always be better at something else. I can always get better at something in my game. What will make me better? What will make me better than the next guy?”
As he made back-to-back All-Star appearances with the San Francisco Giants and Chicago White Sox during the last two seasons, Rodon looks to have fully recovered from his Tommy John surgery in 2019.
Rodon is aware of what it’s like to recover from an injury, play nearly perfectly, and then lose his next game on national television. Although the life of a pitcher is undoubtedly divisive, it is a necessity for the position to go through ups and downs.
Carlos Rodon’s Message to New York Yankees Fans
Especially in light of the unconducive public response if top players find it difficult, pitching in Yankee Stadium portrays a whole other beast. Some people think Andrew Benintendi chose to remain away and join a more hospitable team while others say Joey Gallo and Clint Frazier were driven out of town by Yankee supporters.
Carlos Rodon talks about a big game and promises to give his all every day, but the team’s performance will ultimately decide whether or not he remains on the team. Since he committed to a six-year, $162 million contract, the Yankees are counting on him to deliver important value.
Giving out his message to the Yankees, Rodon highlighted the expectations of the fans and that he will not let them down.
“Just know that whenever I step on the mound, and I walk out to the field, you know I’m gonna lay it all out there, I’m gonna give you all I got. I think they’re great. They set high expectations, they care. I signed here for a reason. I’m here to take it head-on, whatever they throw my way. They care — what’s so wrong about that, you know (chuckle)? There’s nothing wrong about caring so much. I want to win as much as they do.”
Carlos Rodon’s Performance in MLB
The New York Yankees did sign one high-profile player to strengthen the starting lineup, having passed on some of the top left field free agents on the board and allowing some of their players to go. Carlos Rodon, a left-handed pitcher, should add value to the mix after having a strong season in 2022.
Carlos Rodon pitched 178 innings with a 2.88 ERA, 2.91 xFIP, 12 strikeouts per nine, 75.1% left-on-base rate, and 34.1% ground ball rate. The only other time he pitched more than 160 innings was in 2016, making this the highest sample size of his career.
Rodon has made a few significant changes to prevent injury and lower the likelihood of missed time after a few injury-ridden seasons a few years back. Since Frankie Montas will miss most of the year and Nestor Cortes might miss some time, Rodon will play an even larger role with the Yankees.
