Carlos Carrasco clears waivers, accepts assignment to Triple-A Columbus

Carlos Carrasco's time as a member of the Cleveland Guardians organization will continue. Carrasco was not claimed on waivers following being designated for assignment and will report to Triple-A Columbus. The veteran right-hander will make a start for the Clippers on Saturday night.

The decision to DFA Carrasco caught most people off guard at the time. Cleveland was placing outfielder Steven Kwan on the injured list with a back issue and needed to free up a spot in order to call up the much-maligned Myles Straw. While another ballclub could have used this opportunity to make Carrasco's second stint with Cleveland come to an awkward end, having him remain in the organization despite being DFA'd is preferred by all parties involved.

Cleveland brought Carrasco back into the organization this past offseason after his time with the New York Mets came to an end. When the signing was made, nobody envisioned him making a major league appearance, as it seemed like they were doing right by someone they had stood behind countless times before. But sometimes, things have a funny way of working out.

An injury to Gavin Williams in Spring Training, the Guardians had an open spot in the starting rotation. This provided Carrasco with the opportunity to return to the majors in Cleveland. Not long after, Shane Bieber was lost for the year, giving Carrasco an even longer run with the Guardians. Carrasco would have a 5.64 ERA and 1.399 WHIP in 103.2 innings across 21 starts this season.

It was not the prettiest result overall, but the Guardians were not in a position where they could pick and choose who they wanted in their rotation for a large part of the season due to injuries to their starting staff and the poor performance of others. Even if there were a few rough patches, Carrasco was able to pitch 5 innings or more in 13 of his starts. This helped take some pressure off of the other arms in the rotation and perhaps, more importantly, give the elite bullpen a little bit of rest.

If this is the final season of Carrasco's career, his contributions will not be forgotten in a season that saw Cleveland's rotation face adversity time and time again. Should the Guardians achieve the loftiest of postseason goals, you better believe they do right by Carrasco and give him the recognition he truly deserves.