Carlos Rodón Reportedly Declines $22.5m Giants Contract Option for 2023 Season

Carlos Rodón's time in the Bay Area has potentially come to an end after one season.

According to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, Rodón declined the $22.5 million option on his contract Sunday to remain with the San Francisco Giants. He had signed a two-year, $44 million contract with the Giants this past offseason after spending the first seven years of his career with the Chicago White Sox and emerged as one of the better free-agent signings of 2022.

Rodón earned his second successive All-Star selection as a replacement for reliever Josh Hader, but he didn't pitch in the game. In 31 starts last season, he finished with a 14-8 record with a 2.88 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 237 strikeouts.

The third overall pick in the 2014 MLB draft, Rodón made his major-league debut the following year for the White Sox. After a strong rookie season in which he notched a 3.75 ERA with 139 strikeouts, Rodón's career took a turn as he finished with an ERA above 4.00 in each of the next five years from 2016 to 2020.

Rodón underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2019. He was limited to four appearances in 2020 and went 0-2 with an 8.22 ERA.

The 2021 season was a bounce-back year for Rodón, as he went 13-5 in 24 starts and notched a 2.37 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP and 185 strikeouts. He proved that season wasn't a fluke with his strong performance this past year.

Rodón declining to stay in San Francisco for another year is a significant loss for the Giants, as they are losing a No. 1 starter atop their rotation. The team will be in search of a new face of its pitching staff in 2023 if it decides against negotiating with Rodón for a long-term contract.