New York Yankees sign former SF Giants lefty to 6-year deal

Carlos Rodón's tenure in a SF Giants uniform is officially over. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the New York Yankees have signed the hard-throwing lefty to a six-year, $162 million deal on Thursday.

New York Yankees sign former SF Giants lefty to 6-year deal

The Giants originally signed Rodón to a two-year, $44 million pact last offseason. This included an opt-out clause if he exceeded 110 innings pitched in the first season. He did so with ease, and not surprisingly, opted out of his contract.

Of course, the Giants issued veteran starter a $19.65 million qualifying offer, which he rejected, meaning that the Giants will receive a compensatory pick for Rodón signing with the Yankees. That pick will occur after the second round of the 2023 draft.

Rodón was fantastic in his brief time in a Giants uniform, registering a 2.88 ERA, 2.25 FIP, 1.02 WHIP, 12.0 K/9, and a 4.56 SO/W ratio in 2022. He made 31 starts, tallying a total of 178 innings pitched with San Francisco. Both of those marks represent career-highs for a pitcher who has missed time in the past due to elbow and shoulder injuries.

The 30-year-old pitcher received an NL All-Star bid in 2022 while finishing in sixth-place in the Cy Young voting. Given the season he had, Rodón was due for a massive payday.

That payday likely increased as a result of Jacob deGrom's five-year, $185 million pact with a conditional option for a sixth season. The length of the deal exceeded what many had expected and that set the stage for an oddly high number of long-term deals handed out this winter.

Of course, it bears mentioning that the Giants front office has been hesitant to hand out long-term contracts to pitchers. Since Farhan Zaidi has taken as president of baseball operations in 2018, the Giants have handed out only one contract to a pitcher that was over two years. That would be Anthony DeSclafani's three-year, $36 million contract signed last year.

Given this, a reunion seemed unlikely. That does not make it any easier for Giants fans, but that is the nature of short-team deals with opt-outs. If a player performs, that is great for them but it means that they will likely be in a different uniform.

The Giants have been one of the more aggressive teams with opt-outs recently. Mitch Haniger, Ross Stripling, and Sean Manaea have all received one this offseason. It is a nice lever for players as it gives them flexibility if they perform and stability if they do not.

Rodón had the type of season that will be remembered and appreciated for years by Giants fans. His tenure was not long enough, but they got his best.