Beloved Guardians veteran is looking to continue playing career

With the World Series nearing its conclusion, players and teams alike will make plenty of decisions. One particular decision involves Carlos Carrasco, who was an unexpected contributor to the Cleveland Guardians' pitching staff this past season.

Carrasco recently stated his intention to play two more years of professional baseball, according to Anthony Castrovince. The 37-year-old informed Castrovince that he has already begun his offseason training regimen in addition to his desire to continue playing.

No one should be surprised that Carrasco wants to keep playing. Most professional athletes would prefer to continue playing rather than calling it a career, but as players get older, the opportunities to do so dwindle. For those who are unable to realize where they stand in the eyes of organizations, it can be a harsh reality when Spring Training comes and they are unemployed. When it comes to Carrasco, that does not appear to be an issue.

Carrasco did what very few players have the courage to do. Instead of waiting around for a team to give him a major league offer that may never come, Carrasco signed a minor league deal with the Cleveland Guardians. At the time, this deal was not a guarantee to be playing in the majors in 2024. Cleveland's starting rotation was full, and the path to playing time as a major leaguer was blocked. An injury to Gavin Williams created an opening for Carrasco to make the Opening Day roster, and Shane Bieber being lost for the year two weeks into the season all but secured his spot in the rotation as the Guardians were suddenly desperate for starting pitching.

2024 did not produce the best results in his career (5.64 ERA, 1.399 WHIP, 7.7 K/9). But he had the one trait that mattered the most for the Guardians this past season. He was available. Carrasco made 21 starts and pitched 103.2 innings for Cleveland last year, and his ability to pitch when called upon allowed the Guardians to navigate the dire state of their rotation with a little more ease.

If Carrasco is going to see his wish fulfilled and continue playing for two additional seasons, he is more than likely going to have to go down the same path he did in 2024 with Cleveland. Working his way into a team's pitching equation via a minor league deal is the most logical path forward for Carrasco. That is unless a team that will more than likely be irrelevant in 2025 needing to piece together a rotation on the fly signs him to a major league deal with the intention of flipping him for a prospect at or before the trade deadline.