The New York Yankees have had a rough spring training on the injury front. They lost starting pitchers Gerrit Cole for the season and Luis Gil for a significant amount of time.
Now, the Yankees must dig deep into their roster to find pitchers to fill the rotation. It seemed like Will Warren was a favorite to land one of the open spots, but instead, it looks like the Yankees will go with a veteran.
Carlos Carrasco Likely To Be in Yankees Rotation
The Yankees are running out of options for the fourth and fifth spots in their pitching rotation. According to Fireside Yankees, Jack Curry believes “Carlos Carrasco will likely be in the Yankees rotation to start the 2025 season.”
Jack Curry believes that Carlos Carrasco will likely be in the Yankees rotation to start the 2025 season, with Carrasco's opt out upcoming on March 22.#Yankees pic.twitter.com/YoYr7GjTMG
— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) March 17, 2025
Carrasco pitched for the Cleveland Guardians last season but struggled. He threw 103 2/3 innings, allowing 112 hits and posting a 5.64 ERA. Carrasco hasn’t been an effective pitcher since 2020, so the Yankees choosing him as a starter is questionable.
Furthermore, picking Carrasco over Warren doesn’t seem to make much sense, especially after the latter put together a strong spring. Thus, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Warren in the rotation at some point in the first month of the season.
World Series Hangover?
Coming off a World Series appearance last year, the Yankees need a lot to go right to make another run to the Fall Classic.
Besides the injuries to Gil and Cole, New York is also expected to be without Giancarlo Stanton for an extended period. No matter how good a team is, injuries can derail a season, and that will be the Yankees’ biggest challenge this year.
As a result, more pressure will be placed on the Yankees’ stars to deliver big seasons. Aaron Judge, Max Fried, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Carlos Rodón are among those who must step up. Fried, New York’s top free agent signing, landed an eight-year, $218 million contract. He takes over as the staff ace and will need to pitch like one.
Other American League teams have also improved this offseason, most notably the Boston Red Sox. They added Garrett Crochet to their rotation and Alex Bregman to their infield. After three down years, Boston looks like a team ready to return to the postseason.
Ultimately, New York is heading into the year with a thin margin for error. Injuries have put the Yankees in a tough spot, forcing them to rely on veterans like Carrasco as they try to get back into World Series contention.