Blue Jays: Five players to consider signing who are not tied to a qualifying offer

Carlos Rodon

A surprise when it comes to players not getting a qualifying offer, left-hander Carlos Rodon hits the open market with no draft pick compensation and this should pique the interest of quite a few teams including the Blue Jays.

Similar to DeSclafani, Rodon had a terrible 2020 campaign but bounced back with a great 2021 season, finishing with a 2.37 ERA through 24 starts with 185 strikeouts through 132.2 innings. He would have been a major player for the AL Cy Young if he didn’t hit the injured list in August with shoulder fatigue, highlighted by a no-hitter he threw back in April that was almost a perfect game (curse you inside sliders).

Spotrac has Rodon sitting at a $24 million dollar value and this only adds to the curiosity in regards to the White Sox not tendering him a QO. There is a possibility he would have accepted the offer but even if he rejected the $18.4 million dollar contract, the White Sox would at least receive draft pick compensation if he signed elsewhere.

This leads to the possibility that maybe there is an underlying issue with his throwing arm, especially since he has hit the IL three separate times over the past three seasons with left arm-related injuries. He has not appeared in more than 165.0 innings since becoming a Major League pitcher so the injury risk is something to take into consideration.

Depending on the level of risk the Blue Jays are willing to take, if they do take a chance on Rodon, if he can find the form he pitched this past season, the club would hit a gold mine in the rotation that could replace Ray if he does head elsewhere this offseason.