Another potential pitcher off the market.
The Yankees, who watched Patrick Corbin join the Nationals on Tuesday and Nathan Eovaldi agree to a deal with the Red Sox earlier Thursday, now have one fewer trade target after the Indians agreed to an extension with Carlos Carrasco that keeps him under contract through 2022, with a vesting option for ’23, The Post’s Joel Sherman confirmed.
Carrasco, a talented if injury-prone right-hander, has been with Cleveland since 2009, is coming off a 17-10, 3.38 ERA season and was among the trio the Indians were believed to be shopping. The Indians, who are pitching rich, would look “out of the box … to put our organization in a better position moving forward,” president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said at the close of last season.
With the 31-year-old Carrasco locked down, that leaves ace Corey Kluber as the most likely to be moved. He’s due $52.5 million over the next three seasons and turns 33 in April, but he’s coming off a third straight All-Star season, in which he had a 2.89 ERA and struck out 222 in 215 innings.
The third option for a trade is Trevor Bauer, who is younger (27), under team control through 2020 and is coming off a sparkling All-Star season, when he tallied a 2.21 ERA.
The Yankees already have traded for one starter this offseason in Seattle’s James Paxton, but they are seeking another pitcher to fill out the rotation. J.A. Happ still looms as an attractive free-agent option.
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