3 teams that will regret not trading for SF Giants pitcher Carlos Rodón

There is no beating around the bush. SF Giants left-handed hurler Carlos Rodón has been fantastic in 2022. Prior to the trade deadline, there was some level of interest in the lefty and it feels like passing on him will be a regret for many teams.

3 teams that will regret not trading for SF Giants pitcher Carlos Rodón

The Giants signed Rodón to a two-year, $44 million pact before the 2022 season. This is a deal that has paid dividends for both team and player. Given how the 29-year-old pitcher has performed this year, it will continue to pay dividends for him in the years to come as he will likely opt-out and become a free agent.

The eight-year veteran has registered a 3.03 ERA, 2.41 FIP, 1.05 WHIP, 11.4 K/9, and a 4.24 SO/W ratio in 26 starts with San Francisco. He earned a National League All-Star nod and will likely finish the season with a handful of Cy Young votes as well.

If the season were to end today, then his 11.4 K/9 would set a Giants franchise-record that was previously set by Kevin Gausman (10.6 K/9) in 2021. There is no doubt that the addition of Rodón could have easily helped just about every playoff-caliber team.

1. The St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals had a quieter trade deadline than many teams but they made a couple of shrewd additions. They added veteran southpaw José Quintana in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates and swung a last-minute deal for Jordan Montgomery from the New York Yankees in exchange for outfielder Harrison Bader.

Both moves have paid off nicely. Quintana has posted a 3.28 ERA in five starts with the Cardinals, whereas Montgomery has registered a 1.76 ERA since the trade deadline. There is no denying whether these are good moves. The question is, was it enough?

Postseason success typically hinges on the success and performance of the starting rotation. Prior to the deadline, the Cardinals had a trio of reliable starters including Miles Mikolas, Adam Wainwright, and Andre Pallante.

The Cardinals' starting rotation has posted a 3.91 ERA in 2022, which ranks as the 14th-best mark in baseball. That is a strong mark, but is it enough to compete against rotations like the Los Angeles Dodgers (2.68 ERA), New York Mets (3.52), or the Atlanta Braves (3.73 ERA)? That remains to be seen but adding a player of Rodón's caliber would have really changed the dynamic of the rotation.

On the plus side, the Cardinals feature two of the best players in baseball in third baseman Nolan Arenado and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. The NL MVP will almost certainly come from St. Louis, but can they carry the Cardinals through the playoffs? They can but the rotation will need to help.