The Cleveland Indians have officially signed pitcher Carlos Carrasco to a contract extension through the 2022 season.

The team exercised Carrasco’s 2020 team option worth $10.25 million and gave him an additional two years to his contract with a vesting option for the 2023 season.

His new contract breaks down like this (Credit to Zack Meisel of the Athletic for reporting the details)

• 2019: $9.75 million
• 2020: $10.25 million
• 2021: $12 million
• 2022: $12 million
• 2023 (team option): $14 million with a $3 million buyout

It was reported last week that the Indians and Carrasco were working on an extension which would have eliminated him from being traded despite the rumors early in the offseason.

Now the 31-year-old right hander will be with the team that acquired him in 2009 through essentially the prime of his career until he’s at least 35 years old.

Last season, Carrasco was 17-10 with a 3.38 in 32 games (30 starts). He struck out 231 batters and walked 43 in 192 innings pitched.

Over his nine year career, he’s 79-62 in 207 games (171 starts) with 1,127 strikeouts (9th in Indians history) and a 3.71 ERA. He finished fourth in Cy Young voting in 2017 after going an American League best 18-6 with a 3.29 ERA in 32 starts.

Unfortunately, with the extension of Carrasco it will only increase the speculation of a trade involving either Trevor Bauer or two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber as the Winter Meetings approach next week.

The rumors have been swirling since the Indians were eliminated from the postseason that they could look to trade Kluber, Bauer or Carrasco but with Carrasco signing his contract, it appears that there’s no chance of him being moved anytime soon.

With the top pitchers coming off the free agent board, there’s a good chance that a team needing a top-level starting pitcher could give up a solid package of major league ready talent and/or prospects for either Kluber, who has three years left under contract or Bauer, who has two years of control left.