The Braves announced that right-hander Anthony Molina has been sent outright to Triple-A Gwinnett. It seems they quietly put him on waivers in recent days as there was no public indication he had been designated for assignment. The move drops their 40-man count to 39.
Molina, 24 in January, has never pitched for Atlanta. He was just claimed off waivers from the Rockies a couple of weeks ago. The Rockies had selected him from the Rays in the 2023 Rule 5 draft. He didn’t pitch especially well but the Rockies were rebuilding and kept him on the roster through that whole season regardless. He finished 2024 with 59 2/3 innings thrown mostly out of the bullpen, although technically one outing was a start as an opener. He allowed 6.79 earned runs per nine with a 15.5% strikeout rate, 8.3% walk rate and 41.9% ground ball rate.
By keeping him for the full year, the Rockies obtained his full rights and were no longer bound by the Rule 5 restrictions. He split 2025 between the major league bullpen and the Triple-A rotation. He tossed 69 2/3 Triple-A innings with a 6.59 ERA, 15% strikeout rate, 8.8% walk rate and 46.2% ground ball rate. His 34 2/3 big league innings resulted in a 7.27 ERA, 15% strikeout rate, 3% walk rate and 40.8% grounder rate.
Those aren’t the most exciting numbers but it surely doesn’t help that he was in very hitter-friendly environments. The Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes play in the Pacific Coast League, famously tough for pitchers, while Coors Field is also notorious for its hostility to hurlers.
Molina averages around 95 miles per hour with his fastball and also features a cutter, slider, curveball and changeup. Atlanta will try to get more out of that arsenal in a friendlier setting. Since this is Molina’s first career outright and he has less than three years of service time, he doesn’t have the right to elect free agency.
Photo courtesy of Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images
alex antompoulus: play first base its not that hard
wash: its very hard
“Tell him Wash.”
Ron Washington- “it’s incredibly hard”
It seems that another move is in the horizon perhaps a starting pitcher
Lets hope so, Suarez maybe-fingers crossed!
Over the last few years Anthopoulos has made a habit of acquiring pitchers who have upside and options remaining, but they have enough issues that they aren’t in high demand. It seems as if he then kinda keeps them on the roster until there are a lot of similar type players on waivers and tries to sneak them through so the braves can move them down to the minors. Sometimes it works and sometimes another team claims them.
It doesn’t always mean that a move is imminent.
In this case, it won’t. No move is imminent. The little end of nothing is done during the holidays.
Such a shame. He was a massive upside pitcher as a kid
There was a Brave available and Perry didn’t land him?
Dude is slipping.
This is one of the moves that I hate more than any. They need to change it in the next CBA. If you claim a guy off waivers from another team, you should not be allowed to outright them until they play a minimum number of games for you. Meaning in the off season, you shouldn’t be allowed to outright a claimee at all UNLESS he is outrighted to his original team. If they pass, then you can outright them.
In this case, the Rockies tried to outright Molina and the Braves claimed him for their 40 man. They should not be allowed to outright Molina unless another team claims him for their 40 man (which didn’t happen) OR the Rockies do not want him for their own depth. This is not done for the benefit of the player, it is pure roster manipulation. And it would definitely stop fringe guys from being passed around like the weakest guy in a prison yard.
Perry just woke up and bolted out of his bed. He looks out of his bed room window toward the sky the Atlanta Braves logo appears in the sky.
He grabs his cell and orders subordinates to put in a waiver claim for Molina. Moments later Perry is fast asleep zzzzzzz. Zzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz