Chicago Cubs: 3 viable free agent starting pitchers to target

Chicago Cubs: 3 starters to target – #2: Carlos Rodon

Carlos Rodon comes into free agency with several question marks. The most glaring being, after such a good bounceback season in which he earned All-Star billing for the first time, why didn’t the White Sox let him walk after not extending a qualifying offer? Here you have a guy who was absolutely dreadful in 2019 and 2020 and went on to tweak his mechanics and dominate on the mound much like Lucas Giolito a year before him.

Rodon’s 2.37 ERA was far and away the best mark of his career. One thing I personally noticed the left-hander was his inability to get deep into ballgames, especially later on in the season. It seemed when Rodon was good for another inning or two, White Sox manager Tony La Russa would elect to bring in a fresh arm from the bullpen even with a quality start going for Rodon.

Is there no faith from the White Sox office in Rodon any longer even after a solid campaign? The man just finished fifth in American League Cy Young voting, after all. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where a plethora of teams aren’t prepared to make the southpaw an offer this winter.

Though likely coming with a price tag far north of the measly $3 million he carried this year, should Rodon continue his dominance and stays healthy, he has the potential to be an ace or solid number two for any team’s starting rotation. The Cubs need to be willing to roll the dice here.