Guardians Reveal Who Will Start First Spring Training Game

The Cleveland Guardians have enviable pitching depth.

With Shane Bieber looking more and more likely to stay, he will be one of the leaders of a young, talented rotation that will also have Triston McKenzie, Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, and Logan Allen.

Available as depth options are Ben Lively, Xzavion Curry, Hunter Gaddis, and an old friend who came over this season from the New York Mets: Carlos Carrasco.

Yes, the same Carrasco that was part of the Guards’ rotation from 2009 to 2020 and posted a solid 3.77 ERA in 11 seasons.

That pitcher, for obvious reasons, is not the same as the one who helped anchor the mid-2010s successful Cleveland rotations: he is older, as he will turn 37 in March.

However, after a fruitful visit to Driveline over the winter, he hopes to have gotten his swagger and that “zip” on his pitches back.

Carrasco will get his first chance to show that he still can contribute to an MLB rotation on Saturday.

“#Guardians RHP Carlos Carrasco will make the start in the team’s first spring training game Saturday vs the Reds,” Guardians Prospective tweeted.

#Guardians RHP Carlos Carrasco will make the start in the team's first spring training game Saturday vs the Reds.

— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) February 23, 2024

Carrasco’s time with the Mets after being part of the Francisco Lindor trade was inconsistent and full of injuries.

He posted a 5.21 ERA in three seasons, and a horrible 6.80 ERA in 90 frames last year.

Still, he dedicated the offseason to getting better physically and to optimizing his stuff.

Slowly, but surely, his arm is getting in game shape.

The Guardians are giving him one last chance to resurrect his MLB career.

He looks poised to do just that.