The Yankees have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran righty Carlos Carrasco, reports Jack Curry of the YES Network. Presumably, he’ll be in camp as a non-roster invitee this month. Carrasco, who’s represented by ACES, would earn $1.5MM if he makes the roster and can push that salary to $2.5MM via incentives, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Carrasco, 38 in March, spent the 2024 season with the Guardians after returning to Cleveland on a minor league pact last offseason. He was hit hard for a second straight season, following up on 2023’s 6.80 ERA (90 innings) with a 5.64 ERA in 103 2/3 frames. Carrasco’s 91.6 mph average four-seamer and 91.1 mph average sinker, per Statcast, were both career-low marks.
Carrasco, of course, was one of the game’s premier starters during his peak in Cleveland, finishing fourth in 2017 American League Cy Young voting. From 2014-18, he tossed 856 innings of 3.27 ERA ball with plus strikeout and walk rates. He ranked seventh among all pitchers in FanGraphs’ wins above replacement metric during that span and was sixth among all qualified pitchers in terms of the differential between his strikeout and walk rates (22.6 K-BB%).
At this stage of his career, Carrasco is no longer a borderline ace and is a pure depth addition for the Yankees. His last productive season came with the Mets in 2022, when he tossed 152 innings of 3.97 ERA ball with a strong 23.6% strikeout rate and 6.4% walk rate.
Carrasco has had an ERA of 5.64 or worse in three of the past four seasons, but he still shows good command and misses bats at a passable enough level to think he could produce better results. He’s been far too homer-prone, however, which doesn’t necessarily bode well for a fit in Yankee Stadium — though he’s actually been far more susceptible to long balls versus righties than versus left-handed opponents.
The Yankees’ rotation is already deep enough that the club has traded Nestor Cortes and is likely to move Marcus Stroman if general manager Brian Cashman can find a trade partner. Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt will take the top five spots in the roster. Stroman and his $18.5MM salary are on the trade block. Other depth options on the 40-man roster include JT Brubaker, waiver claim Allan Winans and prospects Will Warren, Clayton Beeter and Yoendrys Gomez.
Why?
Because Brian Cashman was under his self-mandated requirement for over-35s on the roster…..
In all honesty, it’s just a minor league contract. They will release him or shuttle him back and forth when they need innings eaten.
BUT, we really need a bat, imho. Cashman is a position (or two) short of a complete roster.
Need an IF and 2 LH relievers.
Inglesias and Tim Hill needed!
Starter depth for when Stroman is traded.
I agree but when are they going to trade Stroman? No deal seams close and little rumors on them.
@pando8888 Yankees have been tight about leaks over the last few offseasons. I don’t expect we will know anything until after a trade is close to completion. It’s all really up to Cashman how much salary he wants to eat and what he wants in return. Hopefully, it’s a lefty reliever. Stroman is healthy so he may wait until a Spring Training injury to occur on another team.
YBC,
I have a bad feeling the Yankees are going to go with DJ at 3B going into spring training. If that’s the case let’s hope he doesn’t foul another ball off his foot this year.
2B/3B and DH to give Stanton a break. Yikes!
@pando
why not? it doesn’t effect the lux tax situation and you can Bennett have enough depth.
My exact reaction.
It’s pretty hard to dislike Cookie… but his stuff just isn’t what it once was. If he’s pitching in the Bronx with that short porch in left field, it may get really ugly. Hoping it doesn’t, though.
Well that’s good depth option if he sticks around past spring training.
These once great starters need to move to the pen. Their career can be completely rejuvenated. Smoltz was smart, Wainwright did it also for a little. It really can change people and extend their careers
Rooting for Carrasco.
Lol Mets…oh wait
Interesting move for Cookie. That Yankees rotation seems like it will be tough to crack.
If Cookie breaks camp, something awry will have to had happened.
Add him into the ST long reliever competition. Someone will get that role, and it’ll be most likely someone without options to start like Cookie.
How can anyone who watched him “pitch” the last two years possibly want him on their team? And don’t say, it’s only a minor league deal. Teams aren’t filling out their aaa staff with 38 year olds.
It’s only a minor league deal.
Pitching is pitching regardless of quality. It’s still “pitching” even with a 5.6 ERA.
Every team needs to fill about 1458 innings or more a year.
@Hole
1 isn’t exactly “filling out” and the young guys tend to move thru the basis levels quickly. He’s never going to be an obstruction to any of the young players.
Matt Blake will turn him into a quality reliever
Carrasco is one of the worst starting pitchers that I’ve ever seen in my lifetime that got consistent starts. I don’t understand how he keeps getting chances
strong 2022 so your mets understandably gave him some rope in 2023. not sure what the guards were thinking giving him 21 starts in 2024
i love cookie as a cleveland fan, but the man should have retired already by this point
They really need to stop wasting Triple A roster spots. Carrasco, Hartlieb, Wilking Rodríguez, Colten Brewer and Brandon Liebrandt:
Don’t really need these guys taking innings from Beeter, Hampton, Warren, Vrieling, Schlitter, Shields, Dees or Selvidge. The team needs to see these young guys get more experience…not waste innings on so many journeymen.
I usually don’t have any issue with these minor league signings. But the Triple A roster has way too many of these guys.
Cookie may have a minor league opt-out date and exercise it if he doesn’t make the team. Or the team can grant him a release. He’s not going to stick with the RailRiders.
@YBC – Good points. I don’t see any good scenario where he makes the team. It would mean the team has injuries to multiple pitchers.
I would rather use Brubaker, Beeter, Warren or Winans if a starter is needed. And any of Effross, Y De Los Santos, Gomez, R Contreras if a reliever is needed.
I have never heard of a bad minor league deal on a veteran.
I wonder if this means we have e a suitor for Stroman?
Head scratcher if not.
that’s zero harm in signing. he not guaranteed anything but an invite
Honestly, I think it is a smart move on his part.
Maybe the Yankees Pitching Coaches help him tweak some movements and help him add a year or two to his career elsewhere.
He is not gonna crack the 40 man or 26 man roster on the Yankees, he is likely #9 or #10 on a SP depth list.
He will likely work with the Yankees staff from now until mid ST, and then opt out and find a job on a team that needs a #5
i’m all for depth moves. everyone is acting like the yankees have this incredibly deep rotation but cole is getting up there and gil is coming off a career high innings load. they will 100% be using their depth in 2025
CASHMAN where are your lefty relievers? This $ = Tim Hill… even if you trade stroman you still have JT brubaker, will warren and Yeondry G… your good sign a lefty!