If there's any landing spot in which Carlos Rodon, a pitcher who has only once in seven big-league seasons qualified for the ERA title (i.e. pitched at least 162 innings) while averaging 105 IP per 162 team games, could have instantly become a more intriguing fantasy baseball pick, the San Francisco Giants were certainly it. On Friday, he became the first big-name free agent to agree to terms post-lockout, accepting a two-year, $44 million offer from the 2021 season's winningest team.
By signing Rodon, the Giants continue to annually assemble the same style of pitching staff I tend to love in fantasy baseball -- one I call "lots of homework." He's a high-ceiling pitcher (albeit at a heightened injury risk) who fits the team's tendency to mix and match, whether over a string of games or within a single game itself. The aim is to squeeze the very best from a pitcher like this, and worry about filling the gaps around his contributions only once they appear.
Rodon's 2021 breakthrough extended 3 1/2 months of excellence: A no-hitter (and near-perfect game) on April 14, eight wins and nine quality starts in 16 overall starts, the majors' third-best qualified strikeout rate (36.6%) and fourth-best ERA (2.14), and a selection to the All-Star team. Shoulder issues resurfaced shortly thereafter, however, limiting him to only eight starts over the Chicago White Sox's final 70 games, and sending him to the injured list for the sixth consecutive season (totaling seven IL stints).
What is appealing about Rodon's arrival in San Francisco is the team's track record in getting the absolute most out of arms that seem largely unlikely to reach the heights they do. It's something I mentioned when Alex Cobb signed with the Giants on Nov. 30 -- remember that pre-lockout signing spree? -- except that Rodon has filthier raw stuff and, therefore, his numbers have the potential to reach a much higher level.
Are we talking Cy Young votes? Perhaps, but that would require a level of health the left-hander has never previously shown, so maybe it's best to say a reasonable projection lands him somewhere in-between what Logan Webb (SP26 on the ESPN Player Rater, SP28 in fantasy points) and Alex Wood (SP46 and SP40) did in 2021.
Before the signing, Rodon was my SP38 for points leagues. Now, he's moved up to SP34, a more interesting selection in that draft range than Shane McClanahan, Framber Valdez or the similarly injury-prone Lance McCullers Jr.