The Yankees added an skilled arm to their rotation depth on Monday, as a supply confirmed that the workforce has signed Carlos Carrasco to a minor league deal.
The supply additionally confirmed that Carrasco’s deal comes with an invite to massive league camp, a $1.5 million base wage if he makes the majors, and the prospect to earn a further $2.5 million in efficiency bonuses. The YES Community’s Jack Curry first reported the Yankees’ pact with the right-hander, who turns 38 in March.
A 15-year veteran, Carrasco pitched in Cleveland from 2009-2020 earlier than spending three seasons with the Mets. The Venezuelan returned to Cleveland final yr and recorded a 5.64 ERA over 21 begins and 103.2 innings.
Carrasco has a 5.32 ERA since 2021, however a 4.14 ERA over 1,641.2 profession innings. His finest season got here in 2018, when he went 18-6 with a 3.29 ERA and completed fourth in American League Cy Younger voting.
Nicknamed “Cookie,” Carrasco was one of many extra constant starters in baseball from 2014-2020, tallying a 3.41 ERA over 1,004 innings.
Carrasco was identified with persistent myeloid leukemia throughout the 2019 season. Nonetheless, he returned to motion that September earlier than successful the AL’s Comeback Participant of the Yr Award and the Roberto Clemente Award.
Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake is aware of Carrasco from the hurler’s first stint in Cleveland. Blake labored because the membership’s minor league pitching coordinator and assistant director of pitching improvement from 2015-2019.
Whereas the Yankees will look to see what Carrasco has left within the tank, their rotation is presently full with Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt filling out the highest of the depth chart. There’s additionally Marcus Stroman, who has been the topic of commerce rumors all offseason.
Stroman is ready to earn $18 million in 2025, and he may set off a 2026 choice for a similar wage if he logs 140 innings this season. These figures – together with Stroman’s tough second half in 2024 – have made it laborious for the Yankees to discover a taker for the righty to date.
With Yankees pitchers and catchers formally reporting to camp subsequent Tuesday, it’s attainable that Stroman sticks round, particularly within the occasion of an damage.
With Carrasco now on board, different depth choices embrace JT Brubaker, Will Warren, Allan Winans and Chase Hampton. Clayton Beeter & Yoendrys Gómez even have beginning expertise, however they appear extra like reduction candidates in the mean time.
Carrasco will not be the one notable veteran to signal a minor league contract with the Yankees this offseason, as they’ve additionally inked Dominic Smith, Pablo Reyes and Andrew Velazquez, amongst others.
With spring coaching roughly every week away, the Yankees nonetheless have questions of their infield and bullpen. There isn’t a left-handed reliever on the 40-man roster. In the meantime, Jazz Chisholm Jr. presently pencils in because the workforce’s beginning second baseman with DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza positioned for a 3rd base competitors.
