No team has been beaten up in spring training more than the New York Yankees, and their Opening Day roster will look unrecognizable as a result.
Of all of the areas on the Yankees roster that have been impacted by injuries, none come close to comparing to the team's starting rotation. After the Yankees signed Max Fried, an argument could've easily been made that the team had the best rotation in the sport. Now, Gerrit Cole is out for the year, Luis Gil is set to miss several months, and Clarke Schmidt is expected to begin the season on the IL.
With all of these injuries taking place, the Yankees' Opening Day rotation will include several starters nobody expected to see in April, including Carlos Carrasco, a non-roster invite who has posted a 6.18 ERA in his last 41 MLB starts.
GM Brian Cashman confirmed that Carrasco will appear in the team's Opening Day rotation, saying he has "earned the right" to be with the team.
Carlos Carrasco has earned a spot in the Yankees' rotation, Brian Cashman confirmed today: https://t.co/bZ76r0wODW
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 22, 2025
This isn't surprising considering all of the injuries and the fact that Carrasco could've opted out of his contract if he wasn't on the team's Opening Day roster, but considering his lack of recent MLB success in recent years, it's certainly not what anyone would've expected weeks ago.
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Projected Yankees Opening Day rotation looks completely unrecognizable
Rotation Order | Pitcher |
|---|---|
1 | Max Fried |
2 | Carlos Rodon |
3 | Marcus Stroman |
4 | Will Warren |
5 | Carlos Carrasco |
The Yankees have been extremely unlucky this spring, obviously, but caught a couple of monster breaks over the offseason. Signing Max Fried immediately after losing Juan Soto was a bit of a curious decision when their lineup could've used more firepower, but can you imagine what the Yankees' rotation would look like without that move? The Yankees also tried to trade Marcus Stroman all offseason thinking they had more than enough depth, but now, he's an essential piece in the team's rotation to start the year.
Pretty much everyone other than Fried in this rotation comes with major question marks. Which version of Carlos Rodon will the Yankees get? Will Stroman find a way to put an offseason full of rumors and drama behind him and be the solid mid-rotation arm he once was? Can Will Warren do what he's done in spring training in games that matter? Can Carrasco be a competitive arm after failing to be in each of the last two seasons?
Not too long ago, the Yankees looked like a team that could've competed against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a potential World Series rematch. Now, it feels as if there are too many "ifs" with this team, particularly in the rotation, to be seriously considered contenders, even in a weak American League.