Baseball has a funny way of making a good season feel disappointing. You can win plenty of games, put together a strong regular season and still end up sitting at home wondering what went wrong in October. That’s where the New York Yankees find themselves again. And with Carlos Rodón due to earn $27 million in 2027, a bigger question hangs over the club than simply how he performed last season.

What can the Yankees reasonably expect from him next? Rodón had a strong regular season, going 7-3 with a 2.67 ERA in 16 starts. He also put together an impressive run of starts without allowing more than three earned runs. That’s the sort of consistency a team needs from a starting pitcher, especially one expected to play an important role in a playoff run.

But baseball contracts don’t end when the season does, and neither do the expectations.

The Yankees Already Know How Good Rodón Can Be

At 33, turning 34 in December, Rodón isn’t an inexperienced pitcher learning the ropes. The Yankees know what he can do when he’s right. They also know that keeping a pitcher healthy, effective and available over a long season is a different challenge from putting together a terrific stretch of starts.

And that’s where the $27 million becomes interesting. It’s tempting to look at that number and ask whether Rodón is worth it. I’d look at it a little differently. The Yankees have already made the commitment. The question now is how they get the most out of it.

A good starting pitcher can do more than win his own games. He can give the bullpen breathing room, help a team through a difficult stretch, and give the manager confidence that somebody dependable is taking the mound every few days. Over a long season, that matters.

As the Yankees Have Discovered, the Regular Season Doesn’t Promise October Success

Of course, regular-season success and October success aren’t always the same thing. The Yankees know that better than most. After another disappointing postseason, they’ll want more than respectable numbers from their veteran players.

Rodón doesn’t have to carry the whole pitching staff on his shoulders. But the Yankees need him to remain a reliable part of it, particularly when the games become more important. There’s no guarantee that happens. Pitchers get older, seasons take their toll, and even very good players have difficult stretches.

Still, I’d be careful about judging Rodón by his salary alone. The more useful question is whether he can continue giving the Yankees the kind of starts that make a long season manageable. At $27 million, expectations will be high. That’s part of the deal.

For the Yankees, the real value won’t be measured by the size of the cheque. It’ll be measured by how much Rodón helps them turn another strong regular season into the kind of October run their fans are waiting for.

Related: Could Adrian Morejon Give the Blue Jays More Than a Bullpen Upgrade?