It’s not blatantly obvious, but Yankees righty Carlos Carrasco is pitching for his future in Detroit on Tuesday.
Granted, the 38-year-old veteran is no stranger to Comerica Park. Carrasco was a frequent visitor during his 12 years with Cleveland and went 6-5 with a 3.72 ERA in 15 games (13 starts) in the Motor City.
Fast forward to today, and Carrasco is attempting a comeback following two-and-a-half forgettable years with the Mets, plus another pitstop in Cleveland. The Yankees gave him a minor league deal and, a 1.69 spring training ERA and a bevy of injuries later, Carrasco made the Opening Day roster.
It’s been a brief but pretty OK run for Carrasco. He’s 1-0 in two games (one start) with an inflated 7.36 ERA. The 3.75 FIP shows he has at least something left in the tank. He’s at least earned one more shot with one more team if the Yankees choose to move on from him.
Which brings us to the pitching calculus facing the Yankees. Clarke Schmidt is due back from his extended spring training/shoulder ramp-up next week. Carrasco and rookie righty Will Warren are the two odd men out for two separate reasons. Carrasco is essentially a fill-in arm until Schmidt and/or Luis Gil are healthy, and Warren is still mastering the strike zone.
It’s not as easy a decision as it seems. Do the Yankees trust Carlos “Cookie” Carrasco and his experience? Or do they grin and bear it while Warren continues developing in the majors? A an aging hot-and-cold arm or the high-upside with extra helpings of hits and walks allowed?
Lucky for Carrasco, he’s done a good job limiting hard contact. It’s also going to be ridiculous levels of cold and windy in Detroit on Tuesday. There’s plenty of potential for a low-scoring game.
It might be the last we see of Carlos Carrasco with the Yankees. Hopefully, it isn’t the last we see of him on an MLB mound.
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