Carlos Rodón signs six-year, $162 million deal with Yankees after capitalizing on success with Giants

Carlos Rodón bet on himself and won.

After opting out of his deal with the San Francisco Giants, Rodón signed a six-year, $162 million deal with the New York Yankees on Thursday, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

This deal is a long time coming for Rodón, who has experienced highs and lows since he was the No. 3 pick in the 2014 MLB draft. Rodón showed promise with the Chicago White Sox shortly after being drafted, but injuries derailed his effectiveness. He posted a 4.4 fWAR in his first two seasons in the majors and then combined for a 2.5 fWAR over his next four. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019 and threw just 7 2/3 innings in 2020 before battling shoulder woes.

Rodón hit the market after the 2020 season but opted to return to the White Sox on a one-year, $3 million deal. That might go down as the best decision of his career. He thrived under new White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz, who took over for longtime coach Don Cooper prior to the 2021 season.

Rodón threw a no-hitter in 2021

In 2021, Rodón cleaned up his delivery, particularly in his lower half, and regained the velocity that made him a standout prospect. Armed with a 95.4 mph fastball from the left side, Rodón pitched like an ace for the White Sox. He showed signs that he was back to form almost immediately, tossing a no-hitter against Cleveland on April 14, and finished the season with a 2.37 ERA over 132 2/3 innings. It was a dominant performance, though his second half was once again marred by arm troubles.

Health concerns made Rodón one of the biggest upside signings on the market following the 2021 season. He had proven in his final year with the White Sox that he could be an ace, but there were still questions about his health.

Rodón opted to bet on himself with his next deal, signing a two-year, $44 million contract with the Giants that included an opt-out after the first year. If he dominated and proved to other teams that he could stay healthy, he had an opportunity to earn a mega-deal the following season.

That's exactly what happened. Rodón posted a 2.88 ERA over a career-high 178 innings and made more than 30 starts for the first time in his career.

Rodón out to prove himself once again

With another contract secured, Rodón will once again look to prove himself with a new team. He's a dominant pitcher when healthy, but he has yet to throw 200 innings in a season. Now 30, he doesn't need to cross that threshold to be a valuable player, but it's the one thing missing from otherwise excellent skills.

Signing pitchers is always a risky proposition, especially when a guy has a history of arm issues like Rodón. But since altering his delivery in 2021, Rodón ranks 38th among qualified pitchers with 310 2/3 innings pitched.

If he can maintain that pace, he has the potential to post top-20 numbers despite throwing fewer innings than most No. 1 starters. Since remaking himself, Rodón has performed like an ace every time he has taken the mound.