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When Carlos Carrasco signed with the Yankees on a minor league deal this offseason, his path to a roster spot looked virtually nonexistent -- but as we’ve seen so often in this sport, things can change in a hurry. 

Injuries to ace Gerrit Cole and reigning Rookie of the Year award winner Luis Gil have suddenly created a pair of huge openings in New York’s starting rotation.

Carrasco is coming off back-to-back rough campaigns to end his time with the Mets and in his return to Cleveland. But after making some changes to his mechanics over the offseason, he’s looked like a completely different pitcher this spring. 

Suddenly, the 38-year-old finds himself square in the mix for a rotation spot. 

“It’s been a really good camp for him,” manager Aaron Boone said on YES Network. “I think he came in in a good place both mentally and physically -- the buildup has gone really smooth and he’s put himself right in the middle of the conversation.”

Carrasco has pitched to a 2.45 ERA and 1.09 WHIP over his four spring appearances. 

His latest one came on Friday night, when he allowed just one run on two hits while walking one and striking out a spring-high six batters in 3.1 innings of work against a lineup full of Phillies regulars, including slugger Kyle Schwarber. 

The veteran reached into his full arsenal of pitches and generated seven swing-and-misses.

“That tells me I’m ready for the season,” Carrasco said on YES Network. “The fastball, the changeup, the slider, curveball, even the two-seamer. I got a strikeout with all of those pitches, that’s what you do in spring training. That’s what I’ve been working for and that’s what I did today.”

He did face some trouble in the first, as Schwarber led off the game with a walk and Max Kepler doubled to put two in scoring position with one out. But Aaron Judge gunned Schwarber down at the plate to help him dance out of danger. 

Otherwise, Carrasco was terrific, giving up his lone run on a sacrifice fly. 

“Another good night for him,” Boone added. “You see the swing and miss that he’s getting, it was the same way his last time out. It’s been a good build for him, I feel like there’s more power there than last year -- it’s just been a really good camp.” 

As things stand, Carrasco is likely competing with Marcus Stroman and Will Warren for one of the openings. But if he continues pitching like this, he’ll find himself back on the big-league mound in no time. 

Whether you’re a Mets fan or a Yankees fan, we can all agree it’s easy to root for Carrasco.

Giants notes: Top prospect Eldridge dealing with wrist inflammation originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SCOTTSDALE — There were some wide eyes on Saturday when the best prospects for the Giants and Texas Rangers filed into Scottsdale Stadium, but for Bryce Eldridge, it was nothing new. The Giants’ top prospect started his spring in big league camp, but he didn’t take the field in his return to the big league facility.

Eldridge is dealing with a left wrist injury that has sidelined him the past two weeks. He said he was feeling pain when swinging, but every test the Giants did came back clean and he started swinging off a tee on Saturday.

The Giants will be extremely careful with a player who could hit in the heart of their lineup for years to come. Eldridge said he hasn’t been told yet if he’s headed for Double-A or Triple-A to start the year, as the focus right now is simply on getting the inflammation out of his wrist and getting back up to speed. He said he wasn’t sure yet if he will be fully cleared by the start of the minor league season in early April.

“I think if everything goes perfectly, hopefully I’m playing towards the end of next week,” Eldridge said. 

The first baseman watched the Spring Breakout game, which ended in a tie, from the dugout. He was disappointed that he had to skip the showcase, but he said he was excited to watch his young teammates, many of whom he feels are underrated.

“We kind of get bashed for our players and our farm system. We see that they’re ranking us down low and I think a lot of us are going to catch some people off-guard this year,” Eldridge said. “The guys I’ve played with, we stack up with any minor league team we ever went against. I don’t know why we don’t get more credit than we get but we’re going to surprise some people, for sure.”

A Deal That Might Work Out

The Jorge Soler trade was meant to get the Giants out from under that contract, but they also might end up getting a big leaguer out of the swap. Third baseman Sabin Ceballos was the prospect acquired and he hit .295 with seven homers in 32 High-A games after joining the Giants organization.

Ceballos has appeared in 10 Cactus League games this spring as a backup and is 4-for-8 with a homer and four walks. He tied the Spring Breakout game with a two-run double to dead center in the bottom of the eighth.

Sabin Ceballos delivers for the @SFGiants prospects, who tie the game with a 3-run 8th! #SpringBreakoutpic.twitter.com/0C5v1sg6Nm

— MLB (@MLB) March 16, 2025

“He’s unbelievable, he’s such a great player and he’s just got that swag and that confidence. You can tell he knows he belongs,” said Eldridge. “He’s had some good hits up at the big league level when he gets the chance there. Just watching him play, I have no doubt he’s going to be a great player for a long time.”

On The Rise

After three years at High Point, two at UNC Pembroke and a delay because of the pandemic, pitcher Trent Harris was preparing for a sixth year of college baseball when the Giants called and offered a deal as an undrafted free agent.

“I would have signed for a bus ticket,” Harris said Saturday, smiling. 

He got a bit more than that, but either way, it’s looking like a steal for the organization. Harris has a 2.06 ERA in 51 minor league appearances and last season he was named the organization’s Pitching Prospect of the Year after posting a 1.81 ERA and striking out 105 batters in 79 2/3 innings.

The 26-year-old is the name most often mentioned if you ask Giants officials for a prospect who might all of a sudden get on the fast track. He likely will return to Double-A at the start of the year, but he could be an option for the big league bullpen later this season in what would be a hell of a development story.

Harris said he added a splitter to his repertoire over the offseason, in addition to his four-seamer, curve and slider. He didn’t pitch Saturday, but has four scoreless Cactus League appearances this spring. 

Less Is More

Along with Eldridge, the Giants had to scratch outfielder Dakota Jordan from their original Spring Breakout roster. Jordan was facing Logan Webb in a minor league game earlier this month when he felt some wrist discomfort after swinging at a sinker. He has been sidelined by a contusion, but it’s not considered serious. 

Jordan is a tremendous athlete who was taken in the fourth round out of Mississippi State last year and signed a deal well above slot. After losing out on their second- and third-round picks because of free agent additions, the Giants went for upside with Jordan, who some scouts felt had the best bat speed in last year’s draft class. 

This spring, Jordan is trying to slow it down. The 21-year-old said he is standing more upright at the plate and is focused on dialing it back. He described it as a “50 percent” approach.

“I’ve got the quick bat, the quick twitch — I don’t need to be all jumpy and everything,” he said of his swing. “For me, whenever I’m hitting, I kind of sit back and relax. It’s something I’ve learned even in my cage routines.”

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