The Yankees had time to arrange their rotation as they wished.
There was no doubt the Yankees, who had time to arrange their rotation as they wished, would begin the World Series with Gerrit Cole.
There was more wonder about how the rest of the rotation would shake out, but the Yankees have settled on Carlos Rodon for Game 2 and Clarke Schmidt for Game 3.
Rodon will get the ball Saturday, he confirmed, and will oppose Yoshinobu Yamamoto at Dodger Stadium.
The Yankees could have flipped Rodon to Game 3 in The Bronx — where Rodon has been a stronger pitcher — and bumped up Schmidt for the road start, but they elected against it.
It will be Rodon, the $162 million man, for Games 2 and likely 6 in what has been an up-and-down postseason.
The lefty was too amped up for Game 2 of the NLDS in a loss to the Royals, bounced to throw six innings of one-run ball in a win over the Guardians before coming back in Cleveland for the Game 5 victory, in which he let up two runs in 4 ²/₃ innings.
