Joel Sherman of the New York Post is reporting that the New York Yankees have placed Carlos Carrasco on outright waivers, opening the door for what should be a return of Fernando Cruz.
By being placed on outright waivers, it allows 29 other teams to claim Carrasco before he can either accept a demotion to the Minor Leagues or elect free agency.
The Yankees promoted Carrasco from Triple-A as insurance after their bullpen was burned during a blowout loss in Los Angeles, but he wasn’t used as Ryan Yarbrough delivered six innings of one-run baseball in a win.
His struggles at the Major League and Minor League levels make it unlikely that a team claims him off of waivers, as the Yankees placed him on outright waivers earlier in May without a team placing a claim.
This now opens the door for Fernando Cruz to return to the Yankees, as he is eligible to be activated off the 15-day IL from his shoulder issue.
Carlos Carrasco Placed on Waivers, Yankees Ready to Activate Fernando Cruz
When the Yankees initially designated Carlos Carrasco for assignment on May 6th, he had a 5.91 ERA and 5.30 FIP across eight appearances on the season.
His 17.6% strikeout rate and 1.97 HR/9 were firmly below-average, resulting in a -0.1 fWAR as the veteran struggled to miss bats or limit damage contact.
An impressive Spring Training earned him a spot in their starting five, but Ryan Yarbrough would ultimately steal the job and never look back after a solid spot start against the Rays.
It’s been a decision that’s worked out brilliantly for the Yankees, with Yarbrough being an important piece of the rotation and having excellent numbers since shifting into the rotation.
The move to outright Carrasco off the roster after last night’s victory isn’t too surprising, however, as even with Luke Weaver’s status in the air following a hamstring injury, the Yankees needed a roster spot for a big return.
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Fernando Cruz, who is both in the top 10 in K% and K-BB%, is expected to be activated off the injured list ahead of their series with the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday.
With the bullpen dealing with some struggles and a potentially massive injury with Luke Weaver’s hamstring incident, Cruz could be a big piece for this team.
He was one of Aaron Boone’s favorite weapons in high-leverage situations, and he could be a valuable arm to have in late-game scenarios where strikeouts are valuable.