New York’s Most Dangerous MLB Offseason Moves

The New York Yankees have made many important moves this offseason. Re-signing Aaron Judge clearly stands out. Bringing the slugger back on his nine-year, $360 million deal comes with some risk. But was it the Yankees’ most risky move of the offseason?

The Yankees are in a position to take risks. They haven’t won a World Series since his 2009. This feels like an eternity to Yankees fans. They have also become the Houston Astros’ little brothers in recent years. This is the Yankees’ ball club, and it’s all about keeping the Astros on track.

With that said, let’s take a look at the Yankees’ offseason deals to determine their riskiest moves.

*Transaction information via CBS Sports.

Yankees offseason moves

As previously mentioned, re-signing Aaron Judge stands out for New York.

The Yankees also re-signed 1B Anthony Rizzo. Their most notable outside move was the signing of SP Carlos Rodon in MLB free agency. They signed the All-Star left-handed pitcher to a six-year, $162 million deal this offseason.

The Yankees have made other moves, but these three signings stand out. The decision to bring Rizzo back is less risky as he doesn’t earn as much as Judge or Rodon.

Whenever a team signs a player to a multi-year contract of great value, there is risk involved. But even with Aaron Judge dealing with injuries and being unable to play in the outfield later in his career, he could move to first base or designated hitter. and should be able to perform at a high level from an offensive perspective for years to come.

Yankees’ contract with Carlos Rodon is now complete.

Carlos Rodon’s 6-year, $162 million deal

Signing Carlos Rodon was never a bad move. However, the risks cannot be ignored.

First of all, left-handed is already 30 years old. Yes, pitchers like Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander are still pitching well into his late 30s. But there are plenty of other superstar pitchers who stalled the moment they turned 30.

Carlos Rodon has been able to stay healthy for most of the last few seasons. However, he dealt with a number of injury concerns early in his career. From 2017 to 2020, Rodon failed to start more than 20 times in any season. He has pitched in all 11 games from 2019-2020.

The Yankees hope his previous injury problems won’t return. But it’s something worth keeping an eye on.

Is there any reason to be concerned purely from a performance standpoint?

Carlos Rodon has had a great campaign going on between the Chicago White Sox and the San Francisco Giants. He recorded his 2.37 ERA in 2021, and in 2022 he recorded a 2.88 ERA. Rodon also hit 237 for the Giants in 2022.

If he can stay healthy, Rodon should be able to find success in New York with the Yankees.

The Yankees are now predicted to have one of the better pitching rotations in baseball, led by Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortez and Carlos Rodon. But if Rodon fumbles or gets injured, the Yankees rotation looks like a much more average pitching his staff.

This move could work. But there are definitely risks involved.