Carlos Rodón arrives at the postseason with only one priority: helping the New York Yankees win, no matter what role Aaron Boone and the coaching staff decide to assign him during the Wild Card series against the Boston Red Sox.
The left-hander closed the regular season showing one of his best versions and made it clear that he is ready to adapt to the needs of the team. After a campaign marked by injuries and a progressive return to rotation, Rodón enters October healthy, confidently and willing to work as a starter or from the bullpen.
The situation reflects the depth that the Yankees have in their body of pitchers. Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, Gerrit Cole and Rodón offer different alternatives, but a best-of-three series forces New York to make different decisions than they would normally make during a 162-game season.
Rodón is willing to do what the Yankees need
Rodón doesn't seem worried about knowing exactly when he will receive the ball. His focus is on contributing when the team needs it.
The left-hander expressed before the end of the regular season that he is willing to offer everything he can to help New York. For him, starting a game or entering from the bullpen goes into the background when the objective is to advance in the postseason.
That attitude can give Boone an important alternative. If Rodón is not part of the first openings of the Wild Card, having an experienced opener available as a reliever would allow several inputs to be covered in the event of a short start or attack a specific section of the Boston lineup.
In such a short series, that flexibility can have as much value as a traditional opening.
One last dominant outing before October
Rodón arrives at the Wild Card after closing the regular season with a performance that confirmed that his arm is ready to compete in a stage of maximum pressure.
Against the Tampa Bay Rays, the left-hander pitched eight blank innings, only allowed three hits, did not give off a walk and struck out eight batters in the Yankees' 2-0 victory.
The presentation also allowed him to reach two major marks in his career: he reached 100 major league wins and scored the 1,500th strikeout in his career.
More important for New York was the way he controlled the match. Rodón attacked the area, worked deep and left one last positive impression before the stage began in which each shot will have a different weight.
Rodón finished the season with high-level numbers
Despite losing time due to physical problems during the year, Rodon finished his regular season with a 7-3 record and a 2.67 ERA in 16 starts.
The left-hander worked 84.1 innings, accumulated 91 strikeouts and allowed only 51 hits. It also closed with Whip of 1.06.
Its performance improved considerably during the final part of the campaign. In his last four starts, he allowed just four clean runs in 25.1 innings, including the eight-episode whitewashing against Tampa Bay.
That level of performance makes Rodon a difficult piece to leave out of October's plans, even if he initially does not appear among the first starters of the series.
Yankees have more openers than guaranteed games
The main reason why Rodon could work from the bullpen is not related to his performance. The real challenge for the Yankees is that they have more openers available than guaranteed matches in the Wild Card.
Cam Schlittler finished a historic season with a 1.95 ERA, Max Fried is being seriously considered to open the first match and Gerrit Cole is also guaranteed a start during the series.
That leaves Rodón in a particular situation. New York could use it as a multi-entry piece during the Wild Card and, if the team advances, keep it ready to open early in the division series.
The decision would allow the Yankees to take advantage of the depth of their rotation without completely leaving one of their best pitchers out of action.
The bullpen could receive an arm used to working deep
Using Rodon as a reliever would change the usual way it has been used during the season, but it would also offer advantages.
A starter accustomed to working five, six or more tickets can cover an important part of a match if an emergency arises. It can also appear behind another opener to offer a different contrast to Boston hitters.
The Wild Card series allows for that kind of creativity because there is no need to protect a rotation for five consecutive matches. The immediate goal is to get two victories before the rival.
If that means asking Rodón to get out of the bullpen, the left-hander has already made it clear that he is willing to accept the challenge.
Rodón enters October with a simple mindset
After everything he went through during the season, Rodón arrives at the postseason without requiring a specific function.
His last presentation showed that he can continue to dominate as a starter, but the depth of the team could lead him to play a different role during the first round.
For the Yankees, that provision represents an advantage. Aaron Boone will have the opportunity to build his strategy thinking about each confrontation and not necessarily following the traditional order of a rotation.
Rodón has already fulfilled a high-level regular season. Now begins a stage in which the previous statistics go into the background and each appearance can define if New York continues to play.
Your message before the Wild Card is clear: no matter when the call arrives or from which entry you have to launch. The priority is to help the Yankees find the two victories needed to continue in October.