MLBTR Podcast: The CBA Standoff Begins
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The MLBPA’s opening CBA proposal (1:50)
- MLB’s proposal, which pushes for a hard cap/floor system (10:10)
- Is it surprising that the owners are aligned when they have different priorities? (20:35)
- Will competitive balance picks come up later in the negotiations? (28:55)
- Competitive balance proposals often come from limiting player agency (31:45)
- Many fans dislike Rob Manfred but are aligned with him on wanting a cap (36:35)
- How should the MLBPA think about the public relations battle? (40:00)
- Is the player-fan relationship different in the age of the internet? (47:10)
- Can any optimism be taken from the fact that both sides addressed the economic imbalances of the game? (51:00)
- We don’t know what Manfred thinks about his legacy (55:05)
- The looming expiration of many broadcast deals after 2028 (56:15)
- Is the character of the ownership group is different than previous eras? (1:04:55)
Check out our past episodes!
- Gage Jump, Tigers Trade Speculation, And The Twins’ Roster Shuffle – listen here
- Colt Emerson Debuts, Blue Jays’ Rotation Issues, And What To Make Of The Mets And Astros – listen here
- Patrick Bailey To Cleveland, The Struggling Astros, And Arizona’s Outfield Changes – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Kirby Lee, Imagn Images
Austin Voth Elects Free Agency
Right-hander Austin Voth has elected free agency, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment a few days ago. Players with at least three years of service time or a previous career outright have the right to reject further outright assignments in favor of the open market. Voth qualifies on both counts.
Voth, 34 this month, has been on Toronto’s roster a couple of times this year as an emergency arm. In both cases, he was quickly bumped off the roster after one appearance. Back in April, he gave them 2 2/3 innings against the White Sox, allowing one earned run. He was designated for assignment, elected free agency, then signed a new minor league deal. He was called up again last week, then tossed 3 1/3 innings against the Orioles, allowing five earned runs this time.
In these situations, it’s common for the player and club to reunite, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Voth and the Jays quickly worked out a new pact. That’s especially true since the Jays are still scrambling to deal with a big injury problem. Each of José Berríos, Shane Bieber, Dylan Cease, Max Scherzer, Cody Ponce, Lazaro Estrada and Bowden Francis are on the IL right now. Jake Bloss is on the minor league IL. Berríos, Ponce and Francis are done for the year.
For now, the Jays have Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage and Patrick Corbin in three rotation spots. Around those three, they are patching things together with bullpen games. Many of those have seen the Jays lean hard on Rule 5 pick Spencer Miles, who came into the year with less than 15 professional innings, none higher than the Single-A level.
It’s possible that Cease, Scherzer, Bieber, Estrada and Bloss will be back in the mix in the coming weeks but the rotation depth is going to be flimsy for the near term, so the Jays would probably be open to bringing Voth back.
For his career, Voth has a 4.77 earned run average in 366 1/3 innings, working both as a starter and a reliever. He pitched for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan last year, posting a 3.96 ERA over 22 starts for that club. He has spent most of this year with Triple-A Buffalo, posting a 2.90 ERA over eight starts there. That’s surely a misleading figure, as his .274 batting average on balls in play and 84.8% strand rate have both been on the lucky side, which is why his FIP is 5.00. Regardless, the Jays probably want him back for depth, though he now has the chance to consider some other opportunities.
Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images
Andrew Wantz Elects Free Agency
The Rays announced that right-hander Andrew Wantz has cleared waivers and elected free agency. Tampa designated him for assignment a few days ago. He has a previous career outright, which gives him the right to reject further outright assignments in favor of the open market.
It was a very brief stint in the majors for Wantz. He was selected to the roster on Friday and designated for assignment on Sunday. He made one appearance, allowing five earned runs in an inning and two thirds.
The Rays were spinning plates for a while there, due to a few unique situations. Griffin Jax was hit by a comebacker last Tuesday and was removed after two innings. The next day, Steven Matz started, coming off a stint on the injured list with no rehab assignment. He lasted three innings, which led to Jonathan Heasley absorbing four frames in relief. After that, the Rays bumped off Heasley and added Wantz to give them a fresh arm. On Saturday, starter Drew Rasmussen only went four innings. Wantz was one of five relievers who pitched behind him. Wantz is out of options, so he was designated for assignment when they freshened up the bullpen once more.
Earlier in his career, Wantz had some decent results with the Angels. He tossed 117 innings for that club from 2021 to 2023, allowing 3.85 earned runs per nine. His 9.7% walk rate was a bit high but he struck out 25.4% of batters faced.
In 2024, the Angels tried stretching him out in the minors, which didn’t work. He posted a 6.17 ERA in seven appearances for Triple-A Salt Lake and then underwent some kind of elbow surgery. The details on that procedure were murky but he was outrighted off the roster at season’s end and then signed a two-year minor league deal with the Rays for 2025 and 2026.
He was back on the mound late last year with encouraging results, allowing just one earned run in 13 innings. He wasn’t able to carry that over into 2026, as he put up a 7.04 ERA in Triple-A before being called up for emergency action. That number was at least a bit misleading, as his .403 batting average on balls in play and 57.3% strand rate were both on the unfortunate side. His 20.7% strikeout rate, 9.9% walk rate and 45.8% ground ball rate were all close to average. His 4.04 FIP suggested he deserved far better.
In situations like this, it’s common for the player to re-sign with the club he just walked away from. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Rays re-sign Wantz in the near future but he has the chance to explore other opportunities.
Photo courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images
Latest On Athletics’ Rotation
The Athletics have taken a few rotation hits lately, with both Luis Severino and Aaron Civale hitting the injured list, the former due to a shoulder strain and the latter due to right shoulder tendonitis. Per Martín Gallegos of MLB.com, Civale has already begun a throwing progression but the update on Severino isn’t nearly as encouraging. Severino has been diagnosed with a strain of shoulder capsule and subscapularis muscle. He will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks.
Though Gallegos doesn’t specifically say so, the implication seems to be that Severino will be shut down for that four-to-six-week timeline. That timeline would take him pretty close to the All-Star break. Even if he is declared healthy then, he would need some kind of ramp-up period before going out on a rehab assignment. In other words, he may be on the IL into August.
That’s not an ideal development for the club, nor for the pitcher. For the A’s, Severino has been a mainstay of their rotation. The results haven’t been ace-like, but Severino has taken the ball and given them a chance to win. He signed a three-year, $67MM deal ahead of the 2025 season then gave the club 29 starts last year with a 4.54 earned run average. This year, he made 12 more starts with a 4.16 ERA.
The club’s temporary home of Sutter Health Park, normally the home of the Giants’ Triple-A club, has been very hitter-friendly and may have impacted Severino’s numbers. He had a 6.01 ERA at home last year and is at 5.33 this year. On the road, he had a 3.02 ERA last year and is at 3.38 in 2026.
Perhaps the home/road situation is oversimplified, since it’s not as though he’s been dominant under the hood. Since signing with the A’s, his 8.3% walk rate and 42% ground ball rate are close to average but his 19.4% strikeout rate is a few ticks worse than par. He has an overall 4.20 FIP and 4.47 SIERA since signing with the club. Regardless, it’s surely unwelcome that the A’s will be looking to proceed without Severino for several weeks.
For him personally, it could impact his contract situation. Severino can opt out of his deal after the current campaign, walking away from $22MM. He was trending towards a borderline decision, based on his decent but not astounding numbers. Since he has complained about the club’s facilities in the past, perhaps that would have tipped him towards opting out, but this injury might make that less likely.
Turning back to the club, they have Gage Jump and Jeffrey Springs listed as their probable pitchers for their next two games. J.T. Ginn should be following on Thursday. Despite the Severino and Civale injuries, they optioned Jacob Lopez today when they called up Kade Morris and Mason Barnett. Lopez has a 6.75 ERA this year, with subpar strikeout and walk rates of 15.6% and 13.6% respectively.
The club hasn’t made any formal announcements about the other rotation spots. Morris and Barnett could start. José Suarez has starting experience but has mostly been throwing under two innings in his appearances since joining the club last month. Gunnar Hoglund won’t be in the mix since he recently underwent season-ending hip surgery.
Since Civale has already started throwing, perhaps he will be back in the mix soon. If the A’s need another arm before he gets back, they have Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, Joey Estes and Luis Morales on optional assignment, with Lopez now on his way to join that group.
The American League playoff race is wide open. Despite a 28-31 record, the A’s currently sit just half a game back of a Wild Card spot. If they manage to hang in the race into July, they should be looking for pitching at the deadline, even if Severino is working his way back to the club by then.
Photo courtesy of Darren Yamashita, Imagn Images
Royals Claim Matthew Lugo, Select Beck Way
The Royals have claimed outfielder Matthew Lugo off waivers from the Angels, according to announcements from both clubs. The Halos had designated him for assignment last week. The Royals have optioned him to Triple-A Omaha. Additionally, the Royals announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Beck Way and optioned right-hander Eli Morgan. Kansas City had two 40-man openings for Lugo and Way due to catcher Elias Díaz and left-hander Bailey Falter being designated for assignment in recent weeks. The Royals also announced today that Falter cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Omaha. Díaz was outrighted last week.
Lugo, now 25, seemed to have a breakout season in 2024. Originally a draftee of the Red Sox, he was traded to the Angels that summer as part of the deal sending Luis García to Boston. Between those two organizations, Lugo hit .287/.376/.578 in the minors for a massive 156 wRC+, indicating he was 56% better than league average offensively.
Unfortunately, his results since then haven’t been nearly as encouraging. He has 642 minor league plate appearances dating back to the start of 2025 with a .261/.339/.430 line and 91 wRC+. He has also been sent the plate 70 times in the big leagues, with a .232/.243/.464 line and 89 wRC+ in those. Defensively, he’s considered a passable corner outfielder but isn’t elite out there. He has some ability on the basepaths, generally stealing 10 to 20 bases a year in the minors.
Ideally, Lugo will get his offense back to that form he showed in 2024, or something close to it. The Royals had some open roster space and Lugo has options, so there’s little harm in putting in a claim to get a close-up look at him at Omaha. He has a couple of options remaining, so he could be easily kept on the farm through the end of the 2027 season, though it’s also possible he gets bumped off the 40-man roster before then.
Way, 26, was a fourth-round pick of the Yankees in 2020. He was one of three players sent to the Royals in the 2022 deadline deal sending Andrew Benintendi to the Bronx. A starter at that time, Way has since been moved to a relief role. Last year’s results weren’t strong, as he posted a 5.93 earned run average in 74 1/3 innings on the farm.
This year’s numbers have been much better, though his 4.50 ERA in 30 innings doesn’t jump off the page. If it weren’t for a .361 batting average on balls in play and 62.5% strand rate, his ERA would be notably lower, hence his 3.22 FIP. His 32.6% strikeout rate and 50% ground ball rate are both well above average, while his 7.8% walk rate is also better than par. His four-seamer and sinker are both averaging in the upper 90s. He also throws a cutter, slider and changeup.
The Royals will give him a shot to see if he can get big league hitters out. Since this is his first major league call, he has a full slate of options, meaning he could be shuttled to Omaha and back when the club needs fresh arms.
Falter, 29, was acquired from the Pirates at last year’s deadline. Since then, he has been either injured or ineffective. Late last year, a left bicep contusion put him on the IL for over a month. This year, left elbow inflammation put him on the IL for about six weeks. Around those IL stints, he put up an ugly 12.46 ERA in 21 2/3 innings. He is out of options, so that performance got him bumped into DFA limbo and through the waiver wire unclaimed.
The lefty has the right to elect free agency but is unlikely to do so. Players with at least three years of big league service time have the right to reject outright assignments in favor of the open market, but they need five years of service to exercise that right while keeping their salary commitments in place. Falter is under the five-year line and making $3.6MM this year, so he presumably doesn’t want to walk away from that money.
Assuming he accepts his assignment, he’ll try to get back on track in Omaha and earn his way back onto the roster. Prior to joining the Royals, he was working as a decent back-end guy. He logged 296 innings for the Pirates with a 4.32 ERA.
Photo courtesy of Cary Edmondson, Imagn Images
Athletics Select Kade Morris
June 2nd: The A’s made it official today, announced they have selected Morris. They also recalled Barnett. In corresponding moves, they optioned Lopez and right-hander Michael Kelly. To open a 40-man spot for Morris, righty Brooks Kriske has been transferred to the 60-day injured list. Kriske hit the 15-day IL on May 13th with a right shoulder impingement. His 60-day count is retroactive to that date, meaning he won’t be eligible for reinstatement until July 12th. His current status is unclear but Martín Gallegos of MLB.com reported shortly after his IL placement that Kriske wouldn’t throw for three weeks.
June 1st: The Athletics are calling up pitching prospect Kade Morris, reports Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. The club will need to open active and 40-man roster spots for the right-hander, who will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.
Morris, 24 this month, was a third-round pick of the Mets in 2023. He was flipped to the A’s at the 2024 trade deadline in the deal which sent Paul Blackburn to Queens. At the time of the deal, Morris was still at the High-A level but he has since bumped up to the upper tiers of the minor leagues. He got a very brief look at Triple-A at the end of that 2024 season but started 2025 at Double-A. He got promoted to Triple-A more permanently a year ago, making his first 2025 Triple-A start on June 1st.
In that past year, he has made 30 starts for Triple-A Las Vegas. He has logged 159 innings, allowing 4.92 earned runs per nine in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. His 18.5% strikeout rate is a few ticks below major league average but his 9% walk rate is around par while he has induced grounders on about half the balls in play he has allowed. His four-seamer and sinker both average around 94 miles per hour. His slider is his most-used secondary pitch.
Most prospect evaluators put Morris just outside the top ten prospects in the club’s system. That includes Baseball America, who had Morris at #13 coming into the season but now list him at #11. The BA report notes that he has good control of his arsenal but his main vulnerability is not having a good weapon for lefties since his changeup isn’t strong. Lefties have a .277/.409/.511 line against him this year and the line was .332/.395/.533 last year.
FanGraphs is a bit more bullish. In April, they gave Morris the #3 spot in the system, behind only Leo De Vries and Gage Jump. The report notes that a slight improvement to his changeup would make him a playoff-caliber starter, though he’s currently more of a back-end guy.
The A’s have taken a few rotation hits lately. Shoulder tendonitis sent Aaron Civale to the injured list a week ago. A shoulder strain put Luis Severino on the IL over the weekend. Those two injuries have led to the A’s reaching into their depth, with Gunnar Hoglund not an option since he required season-ending hip surgery. Jump got the call last week to replace Civale, joining the rotation alongside Jeffrey Springs, J.T. Ginn and Jacob Lopez.
Perhaps Morris is getting the call to take Severino’s rotation spot, or maybe to serve as a long reliever. The A’s also have Mason Barnett, Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, Luis Morales and Joey Estes on the 40-man roster, so they have some other options who could be mixed in while Civale and Severino are on the shelf. Since this is the first time Morris has been given a roster spot, he has a full slate of options and could be easily sent back to Vegas if he’s not sticking around for an extended audition.
Photo courtesy of Matt Kartozian, Imagn Images
Padres Select Jase Bowen
June 2nd: The Padres officially announced their selection of Bowen today. Laureano lands on the 10-day IL due to right hip inflammation, retroactive to May 31st. Pivetta has been moved to the 60-day IL as the corresponding 40-man move.
June 1st: The Padres are calling up outfielder Jase Bowen, reports Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. The Friars will need to open space on the active and 40-man rosters for Bowen, who will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.
Bowen, now 25, was originally an 11th-round pick of the Pirates back in 2019. As a hitter, he has shown some pop but there have been some concerns regarding his approach. Through the end of 2024, he had over 2,000 plate appearances on the farm. He hit 64 home runs but his 7.5% walk rate and 25.6% strikeout rate were both subpar figures. He had a combined .243/.315/.406 line and 99 wRC+ in that time.
His 2025 numbers were a little bit intriguing. He missed time due to injury and only made 366 plate appearances but produced a strong .272/.353/.449 line, leading to a 124 wRC+. He improved his walk rate to 10.7% but was punched out at a 28.7% clip. His output was aided by a .376 batting average on balls in play. He didn’t have a roster spot at season’s end and became a minor league free agent, which is when the Padres signed him to a minor league deal.
This year, he has been with Triple-A El Paso and putting up good numbers, but with similar caveats to last year. He has 13 home runs, a 9.5% walk rate, a .292/.362/.600 line and 121 wRC+. However, his 26.6% strikeout rate is still a bit high and he again benefitted from a high BABIP, this time a .349 mark.
Even if his offense over the past two years isn’t totally sustainable, he can contribute in other ways. Back in April, FanGraphs ranked Bowen the #17 prospect in a weak Padres’ system. They raised concerns about his approach at the plate but noted he is a strong runner, which helps him on the basepaths and in the outfield. He stole at least 16 bases in each season from 2021 to 2025. Defensively, he’s spent time in all three outfield slots. If he can maintain any of his recent offensive numbers, that would be great. But even if not, he profiles as a decent fourth outfielder who can run down the ball and swipe a bag from time to time.
The Padres have recently had Fernando Tatis Jr. covering second base, leaving them with an outfield of Gavin Sheets, Jackson Merrill and Ramón Laureano. On the bench, they’ve got Nick Castellanos and Bryce Johnson, but both of them have been struggling. Castellanos has a .191/.221/.339 line while Johnson is at .188/.257/.250. Neither of them are optionable, so perhaps one of those two will be designated for assignment to open roster space for Bowen.
It’s also possible someone in that group is headed to the injured list with an unreported injury. If that’s the case, then the Friars could open a 40-man spot by moving someone to the 60-day injured list. Nick Pivetta would be a good candidate since he’s already been on the 15-day IL for almost two months, initially landing there April 13th. He hasn’t yet begun a rehab assignment and therefore isn’t in line for a near-term activation.
Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images
Dairon Blanco, Sergio Alcántara Sign With Mexican League Teams
Outfielder Dairon Blanco has signed with the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League, reports Francys Romero of BeisbolFR. He was playing in the minors for the Rangers but was released last week. Romero also reports that infielder Sergio Alcántara has signed with Pericos de Puebla in the same league.
Blanco, now 33, was a part-time player for the Royals from 2022 to 2025. For the most part, he was a bench outfielder whose best asset was his speed. Though he appeared in only 171 games and made just 285 plate appearances, he stole 59 bases in 73 tries in that time. He also received strong grades for his outfield glovework, as one would expect for a guy with big wheels.
His offense wasn’t considered as attractive but he wasn’t a zero at the plate. He slashed .257/.312/.416 over those four seasons with the Royals, leading to a 99 wRC+, indicating he was just barely below league average as a hitter. The right-handed hitter did best with the platoon advantage, slashing .296/.353/.509 against lefties compared to .228/.281/.349 against righties.
Blanco spent most of last year on optional assignment, only getting into nine big league games. The Royals designated him for assignment in March. He was claimed off waivers by the Rangers, though that club outrighted him off the roster that same month. He spent a couple of months as non-roster depth, hitting .230/.324/.295 in Triple-A, before the Rangers released him.
Alcántara, 29, began the year with the Phillies on a minor league deal. He hit .223/.389/.348 in 35 Triple-A games before being released. As a big leaguer, he has generally been a glove-first infielder. He has a .207/.278/.340 line in 506 plate appearances spread across four different seasons from 2020 to 2025.
In 532 shortstop innings, he has been credited with three Defensive Runs Saved and seven Outs Above Average. Oddly, the metrics are less kind with regards to his work at second and third base, even though those positions are considered less demanding than shortstop. Regardless, he has over 300 innings at each of those spots.
When players with big league experience sign with Mexican League teams, the contracts usually have provisions that allow MLB teams to sign them with no buyout. If either Blanco or Alcántara perform well south of the border, that could lead to a new minor league deal with an affiliated club.
Photo courtesy of Peter Aiken, Imagn Images
Reds Designate Brandon Leibrandt, Lyon Richardson For Assignment
The Reds announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Zach McCambley and recalled fellow righty Luis Mey. In corresponding moves, lefty Brandon Leibrandt and righty Lyon Richardson have been designated for assignment.
The Reds have been making frequent roster moves on the pitching side in recent days, as they try to cover for some injuries. On Friday, Graham Ashcraft hit the 60-day injured list with a sprained UCL, with the club selecting Yunior Marté to replace him. The next day, Pierce Johnson hit the IL with elbow inflammation and the club selected Richardson to the roster in his place, designating Kyle Nicolas for assignment to open a 40-man spot. Yesterday, the club selected Leibrandt and designated Marté for assignment.
Chase Burns was supposed to start yesterday’s game but was scratched due to illness. He hasn’t been placed on the IL and may start Wednesday’s game but the Reds had to improvise yesterday. Richardson tossed the first inning, allowing four runs. Caleb Ferguson tossed two scoreless, followed by Leibrandt going six, allowing five runs in a game the Reds dropped to the Royals 9-2. Richardson and Leibrandt have now been quickly bumped into DFA limbo to get fresh arms into the mix.
Leibrandt, 33, now has 21 1/3 innings of major league experience in scattered fashion. He threw nine innings over five appearances for the Marlins in 2020, then logged 6 1/3 for the 2024 Reds, followed by yesterday’s six. He has a 5.91 earned run average in that time. He has a 4.14 ERA in 385 Triple-A innings and has also bounced to independent ball and the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan.
Richardson, 26, was a second-round pick of the Reds back in 2018. He mostly worked as a starter on his way up the minor league ladder but struggled in that role upon reaching Triple-A. In 2025, he was in a primary relief role with mixed results. He tossed 32 Triple-A innings with a 4.22 ERA. His 23.5% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate were both around average while his 50% strikeout rate was quite strong. In 37 2/3 innings in the majors, he got ground balls at a similar clip but his 17.4% strikeout rate and 12.2% walk rate were both subpar.
He exhausted his final option year in 2025 and the Reds were able to outright him off the roster in the offseason. He began this year as non-roster depth, tossing 30 1/3 Triple-A innings with a 4.75 ERA. His 10.7% walk rate was a bit high but he struck out 26% of opponents while inducing grounders on 48.7% of balls in play. The poor ERA was partially due to an unfortunate 52.5% strand rate, which is why his 3.62 FIP painted a more flattering picture.
That got him back up to the majors but only for one subpar outing as an emergency opener. He’ll likely end up back on the waiver wire. Since he just cleared in January, he could clear again, unless a club snakebit by injuries takes a flier on him. Since he has already been outrighted once in his career, he would now have the right to elect free agency if he is outrighted again in the coming days.
McCambley, 27, has spent most of his career in the Marlins organization until recently. The Phillies took him in the Rule 5 draft but he was returned to the Marlins at the end of spring training. He was flipped to the Reds last month in exchange for outfielder Rece Hinds.
His Triple-A numbers have been encouraging apart from a lack of control. Between the Marlins and Reds this year, he has thrown 30 1/3 innings at the top minor league level with a 2.37 ERA. He has given a free pass to 14.9% of opponents but has struck out 30.6% of batters faced while inducing grounders on 53.4% of balls in play. The ERA is nice but he has benefitted from a .254 batting average on balls in play and 86.6% strand rate, so his 4.54 FIP is almost double his ERA. It’s been an unusual few months in terms of transactions but he is now finally in position to make his major league debut.
Photo courtesy of Sam Greene, Imagn Images
Braves Select Carlos Carrasco
The Braves announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Carlos Carrasco. The righty takes the 40-man spot that was opened when he himself was designated for assignment a few days ago. He cleared waivers, elected free agency, re-signed and is now back with the big league club again. In terms of the active roster, fellow right-hander Anthony Molina was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett yesterday.
Carrasco and the club have done these dance steps many times. He was acquired from the Yankees in a cash deal in July of 2025. Since then, they have repeatedly gone through this cycle where he is added to the roster, helps absorb some innings and gets designated for assignment. After clearing waivers, he either accepts an outright assignment or elects free agency and then signs a new deal.
The appeal for Atlanta is clear, as they effectively get a 41st man on their 40-man roster. Whenever they want a fresh arm, they can call on Carrasco, who has generally done well when called upon this year. He has a 2.45 earned run average in four appearances. For Carrasco, he gets some sporadic big league pay and service time. Perhaps he would prefer a more steady gig but the fact that he keeps clearing waivers suggests no other club is willing to give him that.
Carrasco went four innings on May 27th and wasn’t going to be available for a few days. Atlanta swapped him out for Molina but then didn’t need Molina in the interim. With yesterday’s off-day, the staff isn’t taxed but they decided to bring Carrasco back as a long relief option.
Atlanta kicks off a six-game homestand tonight with three games against Toronto followed by three versus Pittsburgh. They are scheduled to go with Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes and Chris Sale against the Blue Jays. That should set them up to start with Martín Pérez and Spencer Strider against the Pirates, with Elder’s spot coming up again for the final game against the Bucs. If any of those games turns lopsided, Carrasco could be called upon to spare the rest of the relief corps.
Photo courtesy of Geoff Burke, Imagn Images