Carlos Carrasco has arrived back in New York once more, and the right hander seems to be excited to get a big chance once more as the Yankees are keen to give him a shot on the reserves as he enters a Minor league deal heading into the 2025 MLB season, which seems to be quite the talk as the World Series contenders seek redemption this time around.

Carrasco is slated to turn 38 on March 21, and yet New York is keen to bring him in for a chance to also redeem himself now more than ever. The right-hander played three years in New York from 2021 to 2023, with the Mets, but then he spent the majority of his career with the Cleveland Guardians, where he also returned for the previous campaign.

At this point, Carrasco now hopes that he can deliver a fiery performance when needed, and it seems that the Yankees are willing to give him that shot that he needs to jump start his career once more. With a contender, Carrasco has the biggest tools he needs to get back on track now more than ever.

A New Chapter for Carrasco

Last year, Carlos Carrasco posted a 3-10 record with a 5.64 ERA in 103 2/3 innings over 21 starts for the Cleveland Guardians. Despite the struggles, he maintained a solid 31.3% chase rate, which ranked in the 79th percentile across all of Major League Baseball, according to Baseball Savant. While his overall performance left something to be desired, his ability to induce swings outside the strike zone suggests there are still tools in his game that could be valuable.

Carrasco has a long and established career in the majors, with a 4.14 ERA over 324 games (277 starts) across 15 seasons. His most notable campaign came in 2017, when he tied for the league lead in wins with 18 and posted a 3.29 ERA in 200 innings over 32 starts. That performance earned him a fourth-place finish in the American League Cy Young Award voting, highlighting the level of success he has achieved at his peak.

Although his performance has been more inconsistent in recent seasons, Carrasco isn't far removed from a quality year. In 2022, he posted 15 wins and a 3.97 ERA in 152 innings over 29 starts for the New York Mets, proving he still has the ability to contribute at a high level when healthy. That season demonstrated that Carrasco can still provide solid innings, even if he's not quite the same pitcher as he was during his Cy Young-caliber years.

Managing Expectations

Carrasco’s career also includes a remarkable comeback story. In 2019, he was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year after battling chronic myeloid leukemia. He missed three months of that season for treatment but made an emotional return in September, ultimately contributing in a bullpen role for Cleveland over the final month of the regular season. His resilience during that time further solidified his reputation as a fighter.

Looking ahead, Carrasco may need an injury or two to make the New York Yankees' Opening Day roster out of Spring Training. The Yankees’ rotation is led by co-aces Gerrit Cole and Max Fried, with Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, and Marcus Stroman all in the mix for starting spots.

Adding a veteran like Carrasco could prove to be a wise move for the Yankees, especially with the uncertainty that comes with Spring Training battles. Even if he doesn't break camp as a starter, Carrasco’s presence would give the team added depth, and his ability to step into a rotation role if needed could prove crucial over the course of a long season.