In a rare moment of vulnerability from one of the game’s steadiest competitors, New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried opened up about the shocking DFA (Designated for Assignment) of veteran starter Carlos Carrasco — and the ripple effect it has had on the clubhouse.
“It wasn’t just business — it was personal,” Fried said softly, pausing as he spoke to reporters after a quiet team workout in the Bronx. “Carlos meant something real in here. He wasn’t just a guy with a glove and stats. He was the soul of a lot of what made us feel like a team.”
Carrasco, a respected veteran known not just for his perseverance on the mound but also for surviving cancer and giving back off the field, had become a cornerstone of calm and wisdom in the Yankees clubhouse. His DFA was a business decision, yes — but one that left an emotional crater for those who shared the locker room with him.
“There’s a weight in the room now,” Fried admitted. “A silence that you only notice when the person who used to fill it is gone. Carlos had this way of making the hard days feel a little lighter. Of reminding you why we love this game even when it doesn’t love us back.”
Since the news broke, teammates have struggled to process not just the loss of a rotation arm, but of a daily presence that grounded the team in perspective and kindness. Carrasco was known for checking in with rookies, translating for Latin American players, and leading quiet acts of mentorship most fans never saw.
“He had this locker-room calm,” Fried continued. “The kind that doesn’t show up in a box score, but wins you games just the same. When someone like that walks out the door, it’s not just about adjusting the roster. It’s about adjusting your heart.”
The Yankees, often portrayed as an organization built solely on legacy, performance, and results, have shown signs of a deeper emotional bond this season — a chemistry that had players believing in more than just numbers. And Carrasco was a central figure in that quiet foundation.
“We’re going to keep playing, of course. That’s what we do,” Fried said. “But I’d be lying if I said this one didn’t sting. Carlos didn’t deserve to go out like this. None of us were ready for it.”
Baseball is, in the end, a business. But moments like this prove it’s also family — messy, unpredictable, and bound by more than wins and losses. For Max Fried and the Yankees, the loss of Carlos Carrasco wasn’t just a transaction. It was a goodbye they weren’t ready to say.
