Indians Extend Carlos Carrasco through 2022

[reillymcshane]

The Indians inked Carlos Carrasco to an extension. His $10.25M option for 2020 is guaranteed, and he gets a two-year extension for for 2020-21, plus a with vesting option for 2023. The extension covers Carrasco’s age 34 and 35 seasons. The vesting option is for his age 36 campaign.

 

Carrasco has quietly been a very good - and consistent - pitcher for Cleveland. Over the last five years, he's averaged 4.0+ WAR a season - never lower than 3.1 WAR.

 

I'm guessing that if Cleveland is serious about trading a starter, Carrasco is probably not the guy they will move.

 

 

Reported numbers:

 

2019: $9.75M

2020: $10.25M

2021: $12M

2022: $12M

2023: $14M club option or a $3M buyout

 

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

The Indians inked Carlos Carrasco to an extension. His $10.25M option for 2020 is guaranteed, and he gets a two-year extension for for 2020-21, plus a with vesting option for 2023. The extension covers Carrasco’s age 34 and 35 seasons. The vesting option is for his age 36 campaign.

 

I'm guessing that if Cleveland is serious about trading a starter, Carrasco is probably not the guy they will move.

 

 

I kinda figured that his affordability in relation to his results already made him the least likely to be moved. I get the feeling that this increases the likelihood that either Kluber or Bauer is moved, though.

[KeithStone53151]

These can't be the numbers can they? That's a seriously wild hometown discount...wow!

 

[KeithStone53151]

I agree it probably isn't Carrasco with that extension. Probably Bauer or Kluber if it happens.

[MadThinker88]

Today is a happy day for me as I really like watching Cookie pitch in Cleveland.

 

When word leaked about the Tribe might deal a starter I fully expected Kluber or Bauer to be the guy getting dealt.

The effectiveness of Cookie along with his reasonable cost made him too important for the Tribe to consider dealing him and why I thought of the 3 it would cost the most to get Cookie in a trade.

[wallus]

Very nice deal for the Tribe. Cookie is an awful nickname as well.

[MadThinker88]

These can't be the numbers can they? That's a seriously wild hometown discount...wow!

 

 

Remember that 2019 & 2020 had been option years on the previous deal. Those salary's had been LESS before the performance ecalator (for the 2017 Cy Young finish) moved up the amount.

 

The 2023 option is rather interesting right now. Saw it listed as a VESTING option (which is a HUGE concession for the Tribe) as it would be tied to some performance measurables and ZackM is reporting it as a CLUB option with a $3M buyout..

 

Not sure how a buyout would work with a vesting option

[reillymcshane]

Reported numbers:

 

2019: $9.75M

2020: $10.25M

2021: $12M

2022: $12M

2023: $14M club option or a $3M buyout

 

 

If true, that's a really good deal for the Indians.

[KeithStone53151]

Patrick Corbin did in 1 year what Carrasco has done in the AL for 4 straight years. The only major difference is age. I guess I can understand Carrasco taking the guarantee at this point considering those 2 extra plus vesting option years will be 34-36. Still a generally good deal for the Indians if production holds up.

[KeithStone53151]

 

For those being relatively impatient, sounds like quite a few people are expecting a ton of movement in the coming days on the SP market.

[SRB]

Wow, Carrasco should fire his agent!

[OnaBadger58]

Very nice deal for the Tribe. Cookie is an awful nickname as well.

Agreed and agreed.

[rickh150]

Tough to turn down that much money and security..... but yeah, he could have gotten more.

[brooks_quichenick]

Wow, Carrasco should fire his agent!

[MadScientist]

Tough to turn down that much money and security..... but yeah, he could have gotten more.

If he was on the market now, yes. However Cleveland had all the leverage. To get more money he would have to have been healthy and effective enough over the next two years to get, at 34 a better than 2/27 or 3/38 contract. That might have been possible, but there would have been a lot of risks, and money for older players has been drying up a bit. Charlie Morton is projected to get a 2 /16 deal, so it's not an unreasonable for Carrasco to not break the bank two years from now.

[reillymcshane]

Here's an interesting analysis of the Carrasco signing.

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/cleveland-rotation-picture-gets-a-little-clearer/

 

Carrasco will be 32 in March. He was already under contract through two more seasons (both club options). Those options are now guaranteed with the new deal - netting him $20M from 2019-20. And the then there is the extension - which is for his age 34-36 years - guaranteeing him an additional $27M (or $38M if his 2022 option vests). That's a minimum of $47M and a maximum of $58M.

 

Without the next contract, those age 34-36 years are not guaranteed money (heck, even the 2019 and 2020 contracts aren't guaranteed as they are club options). We can't forget that pitchers can falter pretty quickly in those years.

 

Yes, Carrasco could have waited two more years and hit free agency at age 34. If he continued to pitch well, he would have netted a lot more than $38M over the next three years. But again, there's no guarantee.

 

Also, Carrasco wants to pitch in Cleveland. This keeps him there for a long time, which appears to be exactly what he wanted. He did not want to get traded or be forced to seek work elsewhere.

 

In the end, it doesn't look like a great deal for Carrasco, but considering the years it covers - and some other factors, he seems to be happy with it.

[MadThinker88]

I was digging thru old threads seeking the "the Last Trade Milwaukee had with ...." and I found this one.

 

Now consider what happened with Carrasco in 2019.. That contract extension last off season looks real good now...