SF Giants shut down left-handed hurler before final start of the season

It is a mere formality at this point, but the 2022 season is over for Carlos Rodón. The left-handed hurler was placed on the injured list, whereas hard-throwing reliever Cole Waites was recalled from Sacramento.

SF Giants shut down left-handed hurler before final start of the season

There was no injury designation provided for Rodón, but the move was made so that the Giants could call up an extra arm while shutting down the lefty for the season. Whispers of a potential move emerged on Monday as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Scott Boras,
Rodón's agent, wanted the southpaw to shut it down for the season as a way to minimize any injury risk.

Of course, Boras is also protecting Rodón. The eight-year veteran signed a two-year, $44 million pact with the Giants last winter. This included an opt-out clause that would be realized if he reached 110 innings.

Rodón had struggled with both shoulder and elbow injuries in the past, so it was not a given that he would reach that threshold, but he did so with ease in 2022. The veteran starter will certainly exercise that opt-out with the hopes of landing a massive payday in free agency.

He deserves it after the season he has had. Rodón has posted a 2.88 ERA, 2.25 FIP, 1.02 WHIP, 12.0 K/9, and a 4.56 SO/W ratio in 31 starts. He set career highs in starts (31) and innings pitched (178), so he did well to alleviate any injury concerns that prospective teams might have.

Not only that, but the lefty set a franchise record with 12.9 K/9, which surpassed the previous record set by Kevin Gausman (10.6 K/9) in 2021. Rodón led baseball in FIP and was edged by an eyelash in fWAR (6.2) by Aaron Nola (6.3 fWAR).

He deservedly earned a spot on the NL All-Star team and will take home some Cy Young votes when the ballots are revealed in November. Rodón picked a very good time to have a stellar season and he will enter free agency with a lot of leverage.

The Giants' first order of business should be trying to re-sign the lefty. They will hold a sliver of leverage in that they can issue him a qualifying offer, which would tie draft pick compensation if he is signed away. Hopefully, when next season starts, the Giants do not make the same mistake that they made last winter.