The MLB is a league unlike any other in all of sports: professional, but with players that are amateurs who go back and play for their country’s national team during the season. This week, it announced its first-ever free international game as part of an effort to grow baseball overseas.
“mlb free agents” is a website that allows users to search for free MLB players. The site also has an option for users to sign up for their newsletter, which offers the latest news on the MLB.
The San Francisco Giants made the first major splash in the post-lockout free-agent frenzy as they try to defend their National League West title. Left-handed starter Carlos Rodon has agreed to a two-year, $44 million agreement with the Giants, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal includes an opt-out option after 2022.
Rodon was one of 2021’s biggest shocks, joining Clayton Kershaw as the top starting pitchers available once the lockout ended. He was non-tendered by the White Sox after pitching only 72 innings in 2020 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, only to be re-signed on a one-year contract.
Rodon was healthy for the first time since 2018, and he enjoyed his finest season of his career, finishing 13-5 with a 2.37 ERA in 1322/3 innings, throwing a no-hitter, and having the highest strikeout rate among pitchers with at least 100 innings in the American League. Prior to 2021, he had always struggled with control, but he reduced his career walk rate from 3.9 to 2.5 per nine innings, and his already lethal slider became even more unhittable, with opponents hitting.107 against it and no home runs.
So why did Rodon just earn a two-year contract? He pitched very sporadically in the last two months of the season, including a stint on the disabled list due to shoulder strain. When he did pitch, his velocity was lower than it had been in the first half, and he struggled in his postseason start against the Astros (albeit his velocity was in the mid 90s in his 22-inning stint). The White Sox didn’t even give him a qualifying offer, indicating that they were worried about his health in the future.
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With that in mind, the Giants are taking a chance here. Rodon will almost certainly use his opt-out clause if he pitches effectively and remains healthy, and the Giants will only have him for one season. In the worst-case scenario, he gets hurt, and the Giants are also on the hook for 2023.
The Giants, on the other hand, were forced to take such a risk. While they won a surprising 107 games in 2021, my colleague Bradford Doolittle’s projection system has them tied for sixth place in the National League (remember, we now have a 12-team playoff format) with the Cardinals and Phillies before Rodon — a healthy 12 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West and even further behind the Mets and Padres in the wild-card standings. Rodon’s potential as a No. 1 starter for 160 innings fills a need in the rotation and softens the impact of Kevin Gausman’s departure to the Blue Jays.
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Indeed, under president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, pitching coach Andrew Bailey, and director of pitching Brian Bannister, the Giants have had success dealing with experienced pitchers — particularly veteran starters coming off injuries. Gausman’s career took a turn in San Francisco, and the Giants added two more injured pitchers in 2021: Anthony DeSclafani went 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA in 31 starts, while Alex Wood went 10-4 with a 3.83 ERA in 26 starts. Both ended up re-signing as free agents with the Giants. Rodon’s career turned around in 2021, and moving to the Giants — a wonderful venue with a superb support staff — increases his chances of staying at a top level.
Include a free agent. Alex Cobb and the Giants have a veteran-heavy rotation, with Logan Webb, a 2021 breakout prospect, set to start on Opening Day. The second possibility is that Rodon reverts to his previous strike-throwing inconsistency. This is where I have faith in the Giants to get the most out of him, and the short-term deal isn’t nearly as risky as the five-year agreements that Gausman and Robbie Ray earned.
Grade: A-
Major League Baseball’s free agency starts on December 1st. This is the day when players can sign with any team they want. The MLB will have a lot of new players coming in this year, so it should be an exciting time to watch! Reference: when does mlb free agency start.
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