SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Last offseason, the Yankees made a splash by signing Carlos Rodon to a six-year, $162 million contract.
Nearly a year later, they are still waiting to reap the full benefits of the pitcher they thought they were getting.
Rodon’s first season in The Bronx was derailed by injuries — he sustained a forearm muscle strain in spring training before back issues helped delay his debut until July — and in the 14 starts he did make, he recorded a 6.85 ERA.
The left-hander looked like he was starting to gain some traction in September before ending his year on a brutal note when he gave up eight runs against the Royals without recording an out.
His velocity was down noticeably during that season finale, but general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday the Yankees believe Rodon is healthy.
“I know he’s frustrated about the year,” Cashman said at the general managers’ meetings. “Obviously him getting out of the gate the way he did with the injury, at least our belief system on this issue — we’ve unpacked a lot — is that he ultimately never got online the way he and we would have hoped.
“This winter, leaving us healthy, being in a better position now, understanding what he’s walking through in New York — not that that caused any of these issues — but I’m looking forward to him and others coming back being closer to what we expected than what we got.”
Another left-handed member of the rotation, Nestor Cortes, would also fall into that group.
Coming off an All-Star season in 2022, Cortes strained his hamstring while preparing for the World Baseball Classic on the eve of spring training.
He started the season on time but later indicated that rushing back from the hamstring issue may have led to the rotator cuff strain that landed him on the injured list in June (and then again in August to end his season early).
Cortes spent October continuing to build up in his throwing program to make sure his shoulder was stable heading into the offseason.
“Everything is top notch,” Cashman said. “So, we’re feeling really good about how he has responded and feels. So right now, it’s full expectation that he’s a healthy player, ready to go.”
While a Yankees reunion with free agent Jordan Montgomery this offseason seems unlikely — they traded him away at the 2022 deadline in part because they did not envision him being in their postseason rotation — the left-hander’s agent, Scott Boras, said they are “taking all proposals from all teams.”
Montgomery is fresh off helping the Rangers win the World Series, posting a 2.90 ERA across six playoff outings.
“Owners are clamoring for us to, ‘Let’s make a deal on Jordan,’ ” Boras said. “I think all owners are very aware that he’s worthy of a Monty Haul.”
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