The New York Yankees, already skating on thin ice with their starting pitching depth, made a move Tuesday that felt inevitable. Carlos Carrasco, the veteran righty who had clung to a rotation spot like a lifeboat in rough seas, was designated for assignment. Rather than hitting free agency, Carrasco chose to stay within the organization, though no longer on the 40-man roster.
The Yankees made it official with a post on X: “Earlier today, the Yankees outrighted RHP Carlos Carrasco off the Major League roster and onto the roster of Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.” And with that, Carrasco, at 38 years old, transitions from a big-league rotation placeholder to a safety net in the minors.
Spring Gamble, Mixed Returns
Carrasco’s spring training journey began as something of a coin toss. New York offered him a minor league deal with a spring invite — a low-risk move to see if the veteran still had enough gas in the tank to give them a few decent innings. With Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt all sidelined to start the season, the Yankees were in no position to be picky.
Carrasco answered the call, briefly. He grabbed a rotation spot out of camp, pitching in six starts and a couple of bullpen appearances. The final line wasn’t exactly pretty: a 2-2 record, 5.91 ERA, and a 25/10 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 32 innings. If pitching is a tightrope walk, Carrasco looked like a man fighting the wind the whole way.
Now Serving: Depth and Wisdom
Now that he’s in Triple-A, Carrasco finds himself grouped with names like Allan Winans and Sean Boyle — arms more likely to be Plan C than Plan A.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone has mentioned Ryan Yarbrough as a potential spot starter, hinting that the club is still playing musical chairs with its rotation.
While Carrasco may no longer be the guy you want on the mound in a playoff race, he could still serve a role. Think of him like a seasoned traveler on a bus full of rookies — he may not be driving, but he knows the roads and how to handle the potholes. For the Yankees, that knowledge might be just as valuable as a few solid innings in a pinch.