Carlos Carrasco Returns to Braves Active Roster After Free Agency
carlos carrasco is back on Atlanta’s 26-man roster after briefly becoming a free agent, a quick turn that puts the 39-year-old right-hander back in the club’s immediate plans. The Braves used one of two open 40-man roster slots to bring him back, while Anthony Molina was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.
Carrasco’s Quick Turnback
The move came after Carrasco cleared outright waivers and elected free agency on May 1. Atlanta had designated him for assignment Thursday when Dylan Lee returned from the paternity list, then re-added him after the brief stop in free agency.
That path fits the way the Braves have handled him since last July, when they acquired him from the Yankees in a cash trade. Carrasco later signed a pair of minor league deals with Atlanta and finished last year at Triple-A Gwinnett before working his way back into the mix again.
Gwinnett To Atlanta
His Triple-A numbers gave the club a reason to keep him close. Carrasco posted a 1.71 ERA over 21 innings this year for Gwinnett, with a 20.7% strikeout percentage and a 6% walk rate. He also threw a perfect inning in his lone major league appearance this season, striking out CJ Abrams.
Those numbers sit beside a tougher big-league track record. Carrasco owns a 6.33 ERA at the major league level since the start of 2023, which explains why Atlanta has kept cycling him through short-term roster moves rather than locking him into a longer run.
Braves Roster Fit
For Atlanta, the immediate change is simple: Carrasco is back on the 26-man roster and Molina is heading to Triple-A. With the Braves filling one of their two open 40-man spots, the club has kept an experienced arm available without giving up flexibility elsewhere on the roster.
The 39-year-old has now gone from waiver clearance to free agency and back to the active roster in a matter of days. Atlanta’s next move with him will depend on whether the club keeps treating him as a rotating depth option or lets his recent Triple-A work carry more weight in the majors.
