The Mets have placed Carlos Carrasco on waivers, as reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The right-hander is one of several players to go on waivers today, as teams out of the postseason picture attempt to shed payroll. If another team claims Carrasco, they will be responsible for the prorated portion of his $14MM salary. He is set to become a free agent after the season.
Following a resurgent 2022 campaign, Carrasco has struggled in 2023. In 20 starts, he is averaging less than five innings per game, while pitching to a 6.80 ERA and 5.17 SIERA. The 36-year-old has run into particular trouble since the All-Star break, with a 10.24 ERA in his last eight starts. Given his rough performance, it seems unlikely that any team will be willing to take on his remaining salary, but it’s possible a contending club in need of rotation depth will take a chance on the veteran. He is only one year removed from a season in which he made 29 starts with a 3.97 ERA.
Revocable waivers no longer exist, so these are either outright or release waivers. If Carrasco goes unclaimed, there’s a chance he could become a free agent either way. As a 14-year MLB veteran, he has more than enough service time under his belt to reject an outright assignment without sacrificing any salary. Thus, this could mark the end of his time with the Mets. He has been with the organization for three seasons, having come over from Cleveland in 2021 as part of the trade that brought Francisco Lindor to New York. In 61 starts, he has pitched to a disappointing 5.21 ERA but a much more respectable 4.25 SIERA.
With a payroll far north of the highest competitive balance tax threshold, the Mets aren’t making this move with the luxury tax in mind. Still, given the tens of millions of dollars the team is paying to players no longer on the roster (including Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Robinson Cano), it’s understandable that Steve Cohen and Billy Eppler are looking for a little payroll relief.
New York has several arms available to take over for Carrasco in the rotation if need be, including right-handers José Butto and Denyi Reyes and left-hander Joey Lucchesi. All three are on the 40-man roster and have made at least two starts this season for the big league club. Lucchesi seems to be the most likely candidate; in six starts for the Mets, he has a 2.54 ERA in 28 innings pitched.
Carlos Correa?!?! What !
Carrasco bro!
MIN wishes. Nobody’s picking that contract up with that plantar fasciitis.
Good
Yeah no one’s gonna claim him with that performance + salary
Understood…
Here’s a bag of Doritos, we good?
Idk… hes still talented enough of a veteran that a team on the fringe might want to take a shot at him being rejuvenated by a playoff run.
This late in the year that isnt a big salary commitment
Dodgers.. can prob fix him. Pryor is pretty good at it, except fixing the Almighty Thor. I think he didn’t like change!
@finatic. Thor lost his mph of his fastball. That’s why he’s getting hit hard.
Guardians should pick him up for a farewell tour PLUS they need rotation help.
Great guy, but he might cooked. Couldn’t hurt to try and see if Cleveland can do something with him.
As much as I would like to see Cookie back in Cleveland.. I’m not sure this is going to happen.
Lol. Nice try Mets. No one is claiming that cookie
I don’t even think Cookie Monster is that desperate
I think I experienced Deja vu all over again.
I feel like these moves are lessening the impact of the trade deadline, I get that not all rentals are gonna be moved then, but what’s the point of trading away prospects when you can wait a month to get them for free?
All this above is probably just an overreaction on my part, but with all these waived players, maybe now would be a good time to have something like the August trade waivers back, it’s what got Verlander in Houston after all
Pretty sure MLB is going to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
MLB will probably push the trade deadline back by 2-4 weeks to increase the amount of sellers. The current playoff format incentivizes teams to go for it at the deadline more than ever. Major league baseball could also add more teams to the field, that won’t make the playoffs, through expansion. That could also increase the amount of sellers at the deadline
Simple solution, just make players waived after the deadline ineligible for a playoff roster. You should have to be on the 40 man roster of a team for at least 1 day pre-deadline to play for them in the playoffs.
The players that are placed on waivers at this time of the year are guys that have virtually zero value…unless we’re talking about a complete bonehead GM or something personal happens to a player that the team wants to distance themselves from.
Fans don’t really seem to understand that. In terms of baseball value money the player makes is the biggest factor. Because the money he makes is pretty predictable, production isn’t.
This is why the marlins fleeced the Yankees, fans didn’t get that. It’s why the Rockies won the trade with the Cardinals. It’s why any team that sheds 150-200 m in future payroll commitments wins the trade. Regardless of return.
By all accounts a great guy. But seriously washed
Well you can put together a whole rotation via waivers right now if you want.
Today MLBTR has a number of articles listing waived players. The next two days should have article after article of which teams picked up which of those players. Should be interesting.
Why not move him to the bullpen and just use him in blowouts for the next month.
He’s been terrible in the 1st inning this year which bodes very poorly for a BP spot.
@Chris G. It’s called “luck.” Rotations routinely have a pitcher who gets his worst results in the 1st inning—hardly surprising given it’s the one time teams can be certain of seeing the hitters get to the plate they actually want at the plate, and presumably in their optimal order.
Why not move him to the bullpen and just use him in blowouts for the next month?
Lol Mets,
Vogelbach needs to be placed on irrevocable waivers for a long time
Vogelbach is a league average hitter and cheap.
Has a “makes more in meal money than salary” clause , costly pickup
I’m sick of Vogelbach, but he’s a league average hitter with a respectable OBP. On the Mets such hitters are not plentiful.
JackStrawb,
Vogey is the poster child for the 2023 Mets. He can’t run, field, hit LHP, and he is a poor LH DH for most of the Season. Mets fans can’t stand the sight of him. Don’t know why he still has a roster slot.
Carrasco > Martin Perez
So if they go unclaimed, they are free agents, the team the were on pays their remaining salary and they can sign with whoever at whatever negotiated contract, correct?
That is not correct. The club that signs a player that was waived is responsible for the league minimum and that is deducted from what the team that released him owes him.
That is incorrect. If a team makes a claim, and is successful in getting that player, because there can be more than one claim, the team who get the player pays the remaining salary. If he goes unclaimed, that player stays with his original team, or if released, is still paid by the organization he was with before being placed on waivers.
My bad. I was citing the old rules.
Deadline to be added on a playoff team roster is September 1st. That most likely has something to do with it.
Yes , looking for desperate teams to pull the quick trigger under the gun.
If a player is on waivers in August can they be pulled back if no one claimed or do you have to release them?
There’s no such thing as “revocable” waivers anymore. All waivers are irrevocable now. If you’re waived you’re gone.
Seriously detrimental move to their top-6 pick play.
Cincinnati can get their whole rotation off waivers for nothing.
Their GM won’t get off his hands and do anything. Horrible at getting established major league talent.
It’s a good thing scouting and player development are on the ball.
Well, obviously, the problem with C.C. is that ridiculous little goatee.
Who can take him seriously as a pitcher while staring at that monstrosity!!??
I looked up his pic. Bad goatee. Nickname should be “Vag” (pronounced VAJ)
Maybe Giants give him a start or two
InEppler will prob claim him
The Mets like to owe millions to departed players. Is Bobby Bonilla paid off?
Nope. Bobby Bonilla Day ends in 2035.
Unrelated: Allen Iverson is still paid $800K/yr. by Reebok and will have access to a $32MM trust fund in 2030.
C’mon Rockies. Go get em!
I guess that’s just how the Cookie crumbles…
Some have done it a little earlier. Rockies put Profar on waivers several days ago.
The Mets aren’t even the laughingstock, they simply shouldn’t even be a team lol
Dumb
Did Cookie make any Quality Starts this year?? My money is on “he made as many QS as you can count on one hand.” Cookie is cooked and throws nothing but cookies.
3.
I looked yesterday, and Peterson has 2 of 16. Megill had 4 of 19. Hey, I did warn the Mets that after their 1-3, #4 and worse what with Quintana’s injury would
a) suck
b) get more than 1/2 the team’s starts.
Bad combination.
Those numbers are sub-optimal.
Mlb trader should explain this years rules for the massive waiver market.
Cookie’s cooked. Close the jar.