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Carlos Carrasco would be a headliner in most trades, but along with Francisco Lindor, he was just the other guy Cleveland dealt with the Mets on Thursday.
The veteran right-hander resolves a need for rotation for the Mets, joining Jacob deGrom and Marcus Stroman to give the team a solid 1-2-3 punch. David Peterson, Seth Lugo and Steven Matz are the other current possibilities to fill this rotation. The Mets are also hoping Noah Syndergaard will return from Tommy John surgical rehab in June.
Last season, Carrasco, 33, went 3-4 with a 2.91 ERA for Cleveland. He is signed for the next two seasons, with a club option for 2023.
Carrasco was diagnosed with leukemia in 2019 and missed much of the season before returning to win the AL Comeback Player of the Year award. He started his career with the Phillies and traveled to Cleveland as part of the 2009 trade that sent Cliff Lee to Philadelphia. Carrasco finished fourth in the AL Cy Young vote in 2017, when he finished 18-6 with a 3.29 ERA.
“This guy is a very impressive human being,” said a talent assessor for a National League team. “He was a top prospect with the Phillies and they were extremely patient with him and he got to Double-A and then he started to fight and they stayed patient with him. And it was the Indians who profited from it. There was a lot of pressure on him, as a prospect for the Phillies, to live up to that No.1 billing, and that didn’t happen for them.
Carrasco, who is nicknamed “Cookie”, grew up in Venezuela. He became a U.S. citizen in 2016.
“He’s a real pro and he’s grown up a lot and it’s been fun watching him from his 18-year-old childhood until where he is now,” said the talent assessor. “It’s a real success and I think the Mets have a real solid guy here.”
Mets general manager Jared Porter said he was always looking for additional help. The Mets have shown interest, notably in free agent Jake Odorizzi, and plan to attend Corey Kluber’s next pitching session. But the addition of Carrasco takes the pressure off the Mets to add another mid-rotation type option. Trevor Bauer is the best free agent starter out there, but the possibility of him landing with the Mets seems less likely than at the start of the offseason.
Carrasco, according to team president Sandy Alderson, was not discussed during initial trade negotiations with Cleveland, which began in November. But gradually, the Mets’ need for a starter improved the trading package.
In the deal, the Mets ceded Andres Gimenez, Amed Rosario and prospects Isaiah Greene and Josh Wolf. The Mets’ main focus in the affair was Lindor.
“He tops most people’s shortstop lists – including mine,” said the talent assessor.
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