Carlos Carrasco would be the headliner in most trades, but along with Francisco Lindor, he was simply the other guy Cleveland handed out to the Mets on Thursday.
The veteran right-hander solves the Mets ’need for rotation, joining Jacob deGrom and Marcus Stroman to give the team a strong 1-2-3 blow. David Peterson, Seth Lugo and Steven Matz are the other possibilities present to fill this rotation. The Mets also expect Noah Syndergaard to return to Tommy John’s rehab surgery in June.
Last season, 33-year-old Carrasco won 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 lost much of the season before winning the AL Comeback player of the year again. He began 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 polls in 2017, when he finished 18-6 with an ERA of 3.29.
“This guy is a very awesome human being,” said a talent appraiser from a National League team. “He was one of the best prospects with the Phillies and they were extremely patient with him and he got to Double-A and then he started fighting and they stayed patient with him. And it was the Indians who benefited. “There was a lot of pressure on him, as the Phillies’ prospects were up to this No. 1 bill, and it didn’t happen to them.”
Carrasco, nicknamed “Cookie”, grew up in Venezuela. He became a U.S. citizen in 2016.
“He’s a real professional and he’s grown a lot and it’s been fun to see him since he was an 18-year-old boy to where he is now,” the talent appraiser said. “It’s a real success story and I think the Mets are having a very solid guy here.”
Mets CEO Jared Porter said he is still looking for more help. The Mets have shown interest, especially in free agent Jake Odorizzi, and are scheduled to attend Corey Kluber’s upcoming pitching session. But the addition of Carrasco decreases the pressure on the Mets to add another average rotation type option. Trevor Bauer is the first free agent holder on the market, but the chance of him landing with the Mets seems less likely than when the low season began.
Carrasco, according to team president Sandy Alderson, was not discussed in the first trade talks with Cleveland, which began in November. But little by little, the Mets ’need for initiation improved the commercial package.
In the deal, the Mets surrendered Andres Gimenez, Amed Rosario and future prospects Isaiah Greene and Josh Wolf. The Mets’ main focus on the deal was Lindor.
“He’s at the top of the list of most people on the short, including mine,” the talent appraiser said.