Carlos Carrasco elected free agency after clearing outright waivers, according to the MLB.com transaction log. The Braves designated him for assignment on Thursday when Dylan Lee returned from the paternity list.
There’s a decent chance this is a procedural move and Carrasco will re-sign with Atlanta on a new minor league contract. Initially acquired from the Yankees last July in a cash trade, Carrasco has subsequently signed a pair of minor league deals. He finished last year at Triple-A Gwinnett and quickly re-signed once the offseason began.
Carrasco pitched well in his first four turns through the Triple-A rotation this year. He owns a 1.71 ERA with a solid 20.7% strikeout percentage and tidy 6% walk rate over 21 innings. Carrasco tossed a perfect inning with a strikeout of CJ Abrams in his lone MLB appearance this season.
The 39-year-old righty doesn’t have huge stuff at this stage of his career. His fastball sits around 92 mph and he has leaned more heavily on his slider and changeup to fool Triple-A hitters. He owns a 6.33 ERA at the major league level since the start of 2023.
Yeah baby! Carrasco & Lucchesi are free agents! Mets are you listening? 2023 team reunion, 😆