With injuries sidelining Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil, the Yankees had to make some tough calls when shaping their Opening Day rotation. Carlos Carrasco earned a spot thanks to a solid spring and the leverage of a potential opt-out. While fans were cautiously optimistic about a possible late-career resurgence, his performance so far suggests it’s time to move on.
There’s a case to be made for keeping Carrasco in the rotation—he’s been there all season, the alternatives aren’t great, and the Yankees are still leading the AL East. But when you combine his slow start with his overall decline in recent years, it’s clear the team needs to act before his struggles start hurting their long-term outlook.
Carrasco’s Time in the Rotation Should Be Over
Once a dependable mid-rotation starter, Carrasco hasn’t looked the part in some time. Entering 2024 with a 6.18 ERA across his last 41 starts, he’s continued to struggle in New York. Through seven outings (six starts), he owns a 5.90 ERA over 29 innings. That ERA only scratches the surface—he hasn’t gone beyond five innings in any of his starts, lacks swing-and-miss stuff (17.3% K rate), and is giving up home runs at a concerning 5.5% rate.
Carrasco may be limiting walks, but he’s not missing bats or keeping hitters in the park. Simply put, his stuff no longer justifies a rotation spot on a team with championship aspirations.
While the Yankees may not have a perfect replacement lined up, sticking with a struggling veteran just because he’s already in the mix isn’t the answer. Whether it’s experimenting with an opener or giving someone like Ryan Yarbrough a shot, the team needs to pivot. Carrasco hasn’t been a reliable big-league starter since 2022, and it’s time for the Yankees to make a move.
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