The Braves announced Thursday that they’ve designated right-hander Carlos Carrasco for assignment. Right-handed reliever Hunter Stratton has been recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to take Carrasco’s spot on the roster.
Atlanta picked up Carrasco in a cash swap with the Yankees prior to the trade deadline. The Braves were simply in need of arms to log innings with so many members of their rotation on the injured list, and Carrasco had been pitching well with New York’s Triple-A club in Scranton. Carrasco’s tenure with the Braves kicked off decently, as he tossed a quality start in a no-decision against the Reds on deadline day.
The next two outings for Carrasco, however, were brutal. The 38-year-old righty was tagged for six runs in 5 2/3 innings versus the Marlins on Aug. 7 and was torched for another six runs in only two innings against his former Mets club just yesterday. Overall, he’s pitched 13 2/3 innings with Atlanta and recorded a 9.88 ERA: 15 runs on 22 hits (three homers) and seven walks with only nine strikeouts.
Carrasco made 29 solid starts for the 2022 Mets (3.97 ERA, 152 innings) but has now struggled greatly in three consecutive major league seasons. He’s pitched 239 1/3 MLB frames dating back to 2023 but logged only a 6.36 earned run average as his velocity, strikeout rate, walk rate and home run rate have all trended in the wrong direction. The Braves are likely to place Carrasco on release waivers within the next couple days, and he’d become a free agent upon clearing.
With Carrasco dropped from the staff, Atlanta will give starts to Spencer Strider, Erick Fedde, Bryce Elder, Joey Wentz and Hurston Waldrep. Reigning NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale is on the mend from the ribcage fracture that’s sidelined him for nearly two months and pitched two innings Tuesday in the first of what’ll be multiple minor league rehab starts.
Johnny I hardly knew ye
Keep your bags packed, Fedde.
Id kick Elder to the curb before Fedde.
Braves keep holding onto that small sliver of hope that Elder will figure it out.
That’s because he does figure it out….then he starts sucking again. It is a repeating theme. I still think the Braves handling of him these years did little to instill the confidence in him that he seems to be iffy about, but at some point if youre gonna make it youve gotta step up. At the end of the day despite all the demotions and being kept off the opening day roster in 2024 he still has been given a lot of chances. And again it hasn’t all been bad but it’s been far more bad than good the last couple years.
But seriously do they have any other options???
Not enough curb space in Braves-land.
Elder is under control though so it makes no sense. I get that he’s been awful but as this year has proven durable guys who can eat some innings are nice to have stashed (or you have to try to aquire them or start a guy whose like 20). So if one was going to get the innings at the big league level you’d want it to be the guy staying in your organization.
The Mets suck so bad right now that they wouldn’t even allow Carrasco to give them a win.
It’s crazy we can’t even have confidence in them winning a game being ahead 6 runs
This is probably the end for Cookie. He was still able to make a couple million dollars the past 2 years but he’s been brutal.
If it’s the end for Cookie, it was a heck of a career. To overcome cancer and still compete with the best of the best is just amazing to me. Good luck and God bless!
Where is that one Braves fan who was acting like getting Carlos was a good move and that he would be a good depth piece for next season lol.
I dont know but havent heard from Trade Acuna lately and his takes are the best.
I think the Braves have to consider just that sooner than later. Chris Sale should also be on the move assuming they pick up his 18M option.
’26 is a lost season in many ways already might as well cut the cord and build for ’27 when Schwellenbach and Smith Shawver will both return to the rotation.
Strider, Lopez, Waldrep, Holmes, Dunning, Elder and Wentz. Uninspiring.
Trading Acuna, Sale and Strider could be the right play. Might as well give Elder another year. Dunning too.
A lot of dumb words. ’26 is not a lost season, and Schwellenbach will likely be healthy enough to have a normal offseason this year.
You shouldn’t make fun of another user’s takes when yours are so bad.
Braves are out of contention in ’26, they are deadline sellers if they dont make the trades in the off season. Snitker should be out too.
I guess I got the Schwellenbach injury wrong, Id bet he has some further elbow trouble down the road but I could be wrong. Holmes has a balky elbow. Sale has injury history, Lopez has injury history. Strider hasn’t looked all that good either.
It’s probable, that if you run it back with that group that you end up in the same boat that you are in this season. With three starters on the rack by mid season.
You can’t sign any significant starters in the off season with that group either, unless you are moving Lopez or Holmes back to the bullpen. I guess that’s a possibility but you still have a rotation fraught with players who more than likely miss some time do to injury. You want to add salary to the ’26 team on a long term deal to a starting pitcher? You have some good prospects in AAA pitching well. A one year deal on a veteran seems like a good play. An Adrian Hauser type. Aaron Civale could be a good fit.
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Why not trade Strider and Sale, trade Acuna, open up the rotation to develop some of your young pitchers in a season where the pressure is lowered. A one year intermittent rebuild.
Without Sale and Strider eating up starts, Elder, Dunning, Waldrep, Wentz, Fuentes and the rest of the group in AAA can compete at the big league level for the rotation in ’27.
Acuna and Strider will bring a haul of prospects. Sale will likely bring a nice return too and you’ll have Jimenez, Lopez, Murphy, Profar and Bummer to trade at next years deadline.
The team will save a bunch on payroll in ’26, get rid of a lot of baggage from the ’25 season and add a haul of prospects.
Not sure Strider has that much trade value this offseason. But he could come around after a normal offseason this winter. Would hold on to him.
It seems so ‘emotional hot take’ type response to concede the 26 season. I believe you mean what you are saying which makes it so sad and painful.
Great story and career but it looks like he’s done.
Looks like Carlos Carassco will be the next starter for the Minnesota Twins just as soon as Atlanta releases him.
Solid career for carrasco. Some good yrs with the indians. Time to hang em up
Alex Anthopoulos, I’m not gonna give you any insight but MLB players can also come out of retirement too, his name doesn’t have the initials “JC”
Johnny Cueto?
Jose Canseco?
At some point these guys need to retire with dignity.
Cookie did not pitch well for the Yankees, but was somehow worse for Atlanta. It’s been a good run. Time to ride off into the sunset.
Stratton pitched well for the Pirates until he had a bad leg injury about this time last year.It took him almost a year to fully recover.
The Braves got him on a waiver claim and he has pitched well for their AAA club.
The Pirates could use him now.
Who’s next up for a crack at dead wood?