The Yankees’ biggest investment of the offseason bolstered their lineup, and now they are adding a splash to their rotation. 

Left-hander Carlos Rodon and the Yankees agreed to a six-year, $162 million contract on Thursday night, The Post’s Jon Heyman reported. The deal includes a full no-trade clause. 

Rodon’s arrival in The Bronx puts the Yankees’ rotation on another level as he joins Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino and Frankie Montas. 

After Jacob deGrom (five years, $185 million to the Rangers) and Justin Verlander (two years, $86.66 million to the Mets), the 30-year-old Rodon was the top arm left on the free-agent market. He becomes the Yankees’ second nine-figure purchase this offseason, joining Aaron Judge, who re-signed on a nine-year, $360 million deal last week. 

Two years ago, the White Sox non-tendered Rodon after he struggled coming back from 2019 Tommy John surgery, but he has turned his career around since then while becoming one of the game’s elite starting pitchers. In 2021, after re-signing with the White Sox on a $3 million deal, he posted a 2.37 ERA with 185 strikeouts in 132 ²/₃ innings. 

Then, after signing a two-year, $44 million contract with the Giants last offseason, Rodon put together his second straight All-Star campaign, recording a 2.88 ERA with 237 strikeouts in 178 innings. He opted out of the second year of his contract last month, entering the free-agent market for a third straight offseason and this time landing a huge payday. 

“A bulldog top of the rotation starter that misses bats, that desperately wants to win, that cares about his teammates — just like an excellent top of the league number one starter,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said of Rodon last week at the winter meetings. 

Rodon joins Judge, Anthony Rizzo and Tommy Kahnle as the Yankees’ signings this offseason, totaling $573.5 million in overall value. Judge, after agreeing to his deal, told the team he would love to see improvements and now the Yankees have followed through as they try to put together a roster that can claim the franchise’s first World Series title since 2009. 

The signing also forms a loaded top of the rotation, three years after the Yankees landed Cole on a record, nine-year, $324 million contract. Cole and Rodon will combine to make $63 million per year in pinstripes, both for the next six seasons. 

Rodon will take the rotation spot of Jameson Taillon, who secured a four-year, $68 million deal with the Cubs last week. His presence also allows the Yankees to have both Domingo German and Clarke Schmidt as depth options, possible bullpen pieces or potential trade candidates. 

While Rodon’s career was injury-plagued early on with the White Sox, he has only endured one minor stint on the injured list over the last two years. His improved health, and improved results, can be attributed to a tweak in his mechanics following the 2020 season, using his legs more to take some pressure off his arm. It also led to a noticeable jump in his velocity, with his fastball averaging 95.5 mph last season. 

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“I think it has to do with him actually being healthy, number one, for the first time in a while for a full season,” said Jay Lehr, the lead pitching instructor at Pro X Athlete in Indianapolis where Rodon has trained the last two offseasons and also rehabbed his Tommy John. “His strength training regiment with Dr. [Jamey] Gordon, the things he had him doing. And then also repeating his delivery. I think those three things had a lot to do with it.”