As expected, it won't be long before the Giants face their former ace Carlos Rodón in pinstripes.
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone gave reporters a glimpse at his team's starting rotation for the 2023 MLB season Sunday, and it's likely Rodón will pitch against San Francisco in the second game of their season-opening series in the Bronx.
New York's rotation isn't set in stone, but Rodón could toe the rubber April 1 against the Giants as the Yankees' No. 2 starting pitcher, while fellow ace Gerrit Cole is expected to get the Opening Day nod.
Rodón in November opted out of the two-year contract he signed with the Giants before the 2022 season after one year, compiling a 2.88 ERA and MLB-leading 2.25 FIP during an All-Star season in the Orange and Black. The 30-year-old went on to sign a six-year, $162 million contract with the Yankees in free agency.
While his departure was expected, Rodón hasn't escaped ire from San Francisco fans in the months that followed.
The hard-throwing lefty got the Bay Area's attention last month when he compared Giants fans to those of the Yankees.
San Francisco Giants
"The fans here want to win. They care. They care a lot," Rodón said (h/t NJ.com's Bob Klapisch). "Giants fans are invested, but not like in New York.
"Win or lose, you're not going to get booed in San Francisco."
Longtime NBC Sports Bay Area Giants commentator Mike Krukow defended Rodón's remarks a few days later, agreeing that there is a difference between East Coast and West Coast baseball fans.
"I know how fans love their game, but they treat their team like their kids," Krukow told KNBR. “And I’ve always said San Francisco treats their kids like their grandchildren.”
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Rodón's possible first start against his former team will come at Yankee Stadium, so Giants fans might not get to show him how passionate the base really is.
Except those who make the cross-country trek, of course.