Story perspectives

Rodón, Cole each surrender six runs, await MLB debuts

5/7/2026

Summary

Rodón Faces Rough Debut

Carlos Rodón (pitcher) allowed six runs on 83 pitches in a 7-6 loss at Worcester, posted a 7.11 ERA in Triple-A outings and is slated to debut in Milwaukee this weekend, Aaron Boone said.
Gerrit Cole (pitcher) allowed six runs on 69 pitches in 4 1/3 innings of start, homers by Caleb Bonemer and Kyle Lodise, and is expected to need work before his debut since Game 5 of 2024 World Series.

Summary

Cole Under Scrutiny

Yankees fans called Gerrit Cole’s rehab outing “out of shape” and “sloppy,” doubting his post-surgery form.
Supporters said Carlos Rodón, Cam Schlittler and Max Fried can keep the rotation strong, preferring them to Cole.
Manager Aaron Boone said that Cole returns, Will Warren or Ryan Weathers may shift to the bullpen, and the Yankees, 24-11, will chase a sixth straight win over Texas while Cole enters year 7 of his nine-year, $324 million contract.

History

Historical Context

Kevin Brown became baseball’s first $100 million player when the Los Angeles Dodgers signed him to a seven-year, $105 million deal in 2004, a contract later cited as a cautionary benchmark for big-money arms. That precedent echoes today as Aaron Boone evaluates Gerrit Cole’s $324 million, seven-year pact, reminding the Yankees of the performance pressure that followed earlier multimillion agreements.

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Rodón Faces Rough Debut

Carlos Rodón (pitcher) allowed six runs on 83 pitches in a 7-6 loss at Worcester, posted a 7.11 ERA in Triple-A outings and is slated to debut in Milwaukee this weekend, Aaron Boone said.
Gerrit Cole (pitcher) allowed six runs on 69 pitches in 4 1/3 innings of start, homers by Caleb Bonemer and Kyle Lodise, and is expected to need work before his debut since Game 5 of 2024 World Series.

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