Reporter Kim Joo-hee = The popularity of left-handed pitcher Carlos Rodon (30) is getting hotter.

MLB.com, the official homepage of Major League Baseball, reported on the 12th (Korean time) that the St. Louis Cardinals also jumped in before signing Rodon.

Rodon is the most popular player among the remaining starting pitchers in the free agent (FA) market.

The Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers have already expressed interest in Rodon. The New York Yankees also participated in the war to recruit Rodon. Reporter John Heyman also announced that “the Yankees are preparing an offer for Rodon and are optimistic about the acquisition.”

With the addition of St. Louis, the scramble for Rodon is expected to intensify.

Debuting in the big leagues with the Chicago White Sox in 2015, he signed a two-year, $44 million contract with the San Francisco Giants ahead of the 2022 season and moved the enemy.

In the contract, there was an opt-out clause that could destroy the remaining contracts after the 2022 season and become a free agent, and through this, Rodon came out to the free agency market this winter.

He has done well in the last two years. In the 2021 season, he went 13-5 with an ERA of 2.73, and in the 2022 season he went 14-8 with an ERA of 2.88. 토토

The more teams want Rodon, the more his ransom is expected to rise.

Previously, it was reported that Rodon wanted more than $100 million for a minimum seven-year contract.

It’s unclear, however, whether St. Louis will be willing to pay a large sum for Rodon.

MLB.com said, “Only two times in club history has St. Louis spent more than $85 million on a free agent acquisition,” and “one of those was a five-year, $87.5 million contract with catcher Wilson Contreras.”