Yankees' Carlos Rodón: 'I Got Some Stuff to Prove' in 2nd Year of $162M Contract

After a rough beginning to his New York Yankees tenure last year, starting pitcher Carlos Rodón is looking for a big follow-up in pinstripes.

Per the New York Post's Greg Joyce, Rodón believes he has something to prove in the second season of his six-year, $162 million contract.

"I just feel like I got some stuff to prove and I want to stay on the field a lot longer than I did last year," the 31-year-old said.

Last season, Rodón pitched in 14 games, posting a 6.85 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 64.1 innings.

Rodón signed with the Yankees in December of 2022 following one season with the San Francisco Giants. Now in his first full offseason with New York, he's ready to improve and come out strong.

"When they invest a lot of money in you, they definitely invest a lot of time and contact with you," Rodón said. "So it was good. We had a good plan. Started throwing pretty early. Started moving in the weight room pretty early. A lot earlier than normal. So I've been throwing a lot, just trying to stay ready."

Some of Rodón's 2023 struggles were caused by injuries. He dealt with a forearm muscle strain in March before suffering back issues during rehab. Once he was able to get on the mound in July, he couldn't find the groove he had at his 2021-22 peak, when he finished top-six in the Cy Young voting in each.

The Yankees are coming off a disappointing 82-80 campaign that saw them miss the postseason for the first time since 2016. New York is looking to turn things around in 2024, and Rodón could help with that.

If he can get back to the way he was pitching in 2022 when he posted a 2.88 ERA and 237 strikeouts, it could lead to a successful year for the Yankees.