Carlos Carrasco would be a headliner in most businesses, but along with Francisco Lindor, he was simply the other guy that Cleveland negotiated with the Mets on Thursday.
The right-handed veteran solves a need for rotation for the Mets, teaming up with Jacob deGrom and Marcus Stroman to give the team a solid 1-2-3 stroke. David Peterson, Seth Lugo and Steven Matz are the other possibilities present to fill this rotation. The Mets are also hopeful that Noah Syndergaard will return from Tommy John’s surgical rehabilitation in June.
Last season, Carrasco, 33, made it 3-4 with an ERA of 2.91 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. He started his career with the Phillies and went 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 an ERA of 3.29.
“This guy is a very impressive human being,” said a talent assessor for a National League team. “He was an important candidate with the Phillies and they were extremely patient with him and he got Double-A and then he started to fight and they remained patient with him. And the Indians benefited from this. There was a lot of pressure on him, as a potential Phillies customer, to meet that # 1 bill, and it didn’t happen to them. ”
Carrasco, nicknamed “Cookie”, grew up in Venezuela. He became an American citizen in 2016.
“He is a true professional and has grown a lot and it is fun to see him from when he was an 18 year old boy to where he is now,” said the talent assessor. “It’s a real success story and I think Mets is getting a really solid guy here.”
Mets general manager Jared Porter said he was still looking for more help to pitch. The Mets showed interest, mainly in free agent Jake Odorizzi, and plan to attend Corey Kluber’s next launch session. But the addition of Carrasco reduces the pressure on the Mets to add another type of rotation means. Trevor Bauer is the best starter in the market, but the possibility of him landing in the Mets seems less likely than at the beginning of the off-season.
Carrasco, according to team president Sandy Alderson, was not discussed in the initial trade negotiations with Cleveland, which began in November. But gradually, the need for a starter has increased the commercial package.
In the deal, Mets delivered Andres Gimenez, Amed Rosario and prospects Isaiah Greene and Josh Wolf. Mets’ main focus on the business was Lindor.
“He’s at the top of the list of most people on the shortstop – including mine,” said the talent assessor.