The lockout has put all transactions on hold, leaving plenty of free agents without jobs, at least until the lockout is over or they’re signed.
One free agent that’s sure to be a valuable commodity is Carlos Rodon.
Rodon came back from Tommy John Surgery in 2021 and was a key component in the White Sox run to the AL Central title. He also threw a no-hitter in April against Cleveland.
Teams may be hesitant to give him a mega-deal given his spotty injury history, but there are still several teams that are looking into starting pitching. Here are three teams that should try to sign the lefty once the lockout is settled.
Chicago White Sox
Perhaps he’ll just stay where he’s been his whole career. It would be wise for the White Sox to try and bring him back.
They already have Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito at the top of that rotation. It certainly can’t hurt to have another guy in there. And why not make it someone you’re familiar with.
He went 13-5 with a 2.37 ERA with Chicago in 2021, and as previously mentioned he threw a no-hitter. He finally seems to be pitching to his potential again after so many injuries. Who’s to say the Sox won’t try to bring him back home?
Texas Rangers
In a span of a few days, the Rangers went from a 100-loss team to a team that looks ready to make noise in the AL West. They signed Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Jon Gray, which puts them in a position to challenge the Astros and Mariners for the division title.
But who says they’re done?
Gray is a solid rotation piece, but they’ll need one more guy to truly look like a contender. This is where Rodon comes in.
If Texas were to sign him, it would take them from a team poised to challenge Houston and Seattle for the division crown to a team that could easily emerge as the winner. That’s a surefire way to fill seats at Globe Life Park.
San Francisco Giants
They were smart to keep Alex Wood and Anthony DeSclafani. They also signed Alex Cobb. But they need someone to anchor the staff after the departure of Kevin Gausman.
In all likelihood, San Francisco will probably regress to a 90-win team after winning 107 games in 2021. But making a play for Rodon could keep the Giants relevant and help them compete with the Dodgers and Padres, and you know they’re hungry for revenge after being knocked out by the Dodgers in the NLDS on the bad check-swing call.
They still look good on paper, but if they want to repeat as NL West champs, they still have some work to do.
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