Trade Idea Lets Yankees Get Rid of Carlos Carrasco For MLB-Ready Righty Prospect

The New York Yankees have a problem, and its name is Carlos Carrasco. The Yankees signed the 38-year-old to a minor league free agent contract in February, but after a series of injuries left the defending American League champs with three holes in their five-man rotation, Carrasco pitched his way into filling one with an impressive spring training.

Before the season began, the Yankees converted Carrasco to a $1.5 million, one-year major league contract, but the decision has been a disaster. In 11 2/3 innings over three appearances, Carrasco has allowed 10 runs, including an AL-high four homers.

But a new trade proposal would allow the Yankees to unload Carrasco and give his rotation spot to a promising, right-handed prospect while waiting for the return of injured starters Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil.

But the trade, if executed by the Yankees and the Chicago White Sox, would also allow the Yankees to build for the future by acquiring rookie starter Sean Burke, a Massachusetts native who was the White Sox's third-round draft pick in 2021 out of Maryland.

Burke, who started three games for the White Sox last season with an attention-grabbing 1.89 ERA over 19 innings, was the White Sox's opening day starter this year. The 25-year-old's rookie status remains intact through this year. Burke was the White Sox top-ranked pitching prospect in 2023, prior to his MLB debut.

Why would the White Sox give up their most promising pitching prospect? The only answer: to add an even better one.

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In addition to shipping Carrasco to the White Sox — who with their payroll-conscious mentality should not be put off by the 16-year veteran's modest salary — the Yankees have 21-year-old Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz still a few years from the big leagues at the High-A level.

The Yankees grabbed Rodriguez-Cruz, a Red Sox 2021 fourth-rounder out of Leadership Christian Academy in Puerto Rico, from Boston in an offseason deal for catcher Carlos Narváez. His fastball hits 99 mph, but Rodriguez-Cruz also has the ability to get batters to hit the ball on the ground.

"The fact that Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz is pitching in his first full season at the legal drinking age in the United States speaks to how raw of a pitcher he is, and his mechanics have only become more and more repeatable as he's matured," wrote Ryan Garcia of Empire Sports Media. "I heard a lot of excitement around what he could be in 2025."

The deal would solve the Yankees' Carrasco problem while having no significant impact on payroll either for New York or Chicago — and giving both teams a prime pitching asset for the future.

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