Miami Marlins focused on Carlos Rodon
By Jack Maloney
If you aren’t a big college baseball fan, you might not know about Carlos Rodon. He is a dominant left handed pitcher out of North Carolina State, and likely one of the top two or three draft picks in the MLB draft.
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Every team would love to get their hands on Rodon, but it’s likely only the Houston Astros or Miami Marlins will get the chance. The Astros have the top pick, and they very well might take Rodon, but if they don’t, it’s unlikely the southpaw will get past number two.
"The Marlins appear to be focusing on Miami-born North Carolina State star left-hander Carlos Rodon for the No. 2 overall pick as the draft appraches Thursday evening.Rodon would be a natural for the Marlins since he is a Miami product of Cuban descent and could become the lefty bookend to star Jose Fernandez, who is also of Cuban descent.“That would be a story and a half,” Rodon’s father Carlos Sr. told the Raleigh (NC) News & Observer.It isn’t a certainty that Miami takes Rodon, but the Marlins are sending out signals they could be leaning that way. Of course, the draft is often full of surprises.Rodon isn’t suspected of being interested in offering a discount. The slot value of the No. 2 pick is $6,821,000, and the Marlins aren’t known for giving out big contracts. However, Miami is said to like that Rodon could possibly help in the big leagues later this season, perhaps out of the bullpen. The other top players in this draft that begins Thursday at 7 p.m. ET are in high school."
Although he’s a bit older than some of the high school prospect because college players can’t come out until after their junior year, Rodon’s stuff is top class. Adding him to a rotation that already feature Jose Fernandez could potentially be a very scary thing for Marlins’ opponents in the coming years.