1. Monster Braves free agent target: Carlos Rodon
Carlos Rodon had a strong season for the San Francisco Giants this past year. The lefty took a shorter deal with the Giants in the offseason and did enough to earn himself a chance to opt out of his contract this offseason. He would be making a mistake if he doesn’t. Now is the time to earn a lengthier deal. Will the Braves be the ones who strike?
A lot of the same points apply for Rodon as they do for deGrom. Rodon is nowhere near as accomplished, but Rodon is younger and maybe the best still lies ahead for him.
Rodon is at a nice age to get a multi-year contract to stick around for many more seasons and produce. He seems much more confident than he did with the Chicago White Sox. Rodon is now a legitimate Cy Young candidate although he won’t come close to winning the award in 2022 despite a successful year.
The Giants should make a strong push to retain Rodon. However, their priority could be inking Aaron Judge to a massive deal instead. Players like Rodon will become available again. Ones like Judge rarely hit free agency.
A lower AAV and longer deal with Rodon could have them pivoting to him over deGrom. Signing deGrom is more of a power play and slap in the face to a rival. Adding Rodon to the roster is just smart.