While the Atlanta Braves have certainly made a lot of roster moves lately, the quality of those moves leave a certain amount to be desired especially when it comes to arms. Some of that is to be expected give that if pitchers are available this late in the season, it is probably because they aren't any good. Neither Erick Fedde nor Carlos Carrasco worked out and now it looks like Braves fans can add Cal Quantrill to the list of failures.
When the Braves claimed Quantrill off of waivers from the Marlins, it truly was like buying a scratch-off lottery ticket. Most of the time, the results are bad and it ends up being money wasted. However, Quantrill was a highly regarded pitching prospect once upon a time and sometimes you get lucky in unearthing that. Expectations were low and unfortunately, Quantrill couldn't even reach those.
After a pair of starts where the first one where Quantrill walked five batters was the best of the two, it was pretty clear that his days were numbered. It took a little longer than expected, but the Braves ultimately did decide to release Quantrill among a series of roster moves on Thursday.
The #Braves today reinstated OF Jurickson Profar from the paternity list and recalled RHP Daysbel Hernández to Atlanta. The club also designated INF Luke Williams for assignment and released RHP Cal Quantrill from the roster. Additionally, RHP Wander Suero was claimed off waivers…
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 4, 2025
Braves release Quantrill and designate Luke Williams for assignment, welcome back Daysbel Hernandez
With Jurickson Profar returning from paternity leave and Atlanta needing to keep the supply of fresh arms cycling through, the Braves needed a couple of roster spots and Quantrill was probably the easiest cut to make. It does stink that Luke Williams got designated for assignment, but the Braves are probably hoping that he passes through waivers and they can stash him in the minors for a rainy day.
In exchange, the Braves get Profar back which means Eli White's playing time is going to return to near zero the rest of the season. It will be nice to see if Daysbel Hernandez can solidify his spot in the bullpen as he has the raw stuff to be a higher leverage reliever even if the command can be dicey at times. As for losing Suero, he is in the Quantrill camp of not being any good and it is probably good news that the Mets claimed him because that means he could help them collapse in games that matter.
Now that we are in the month of September, it is going to be harder and harder to even find arms even in the junkyard. Unless the Braves decide to buck their previous trends and start dipping into their minor league ranks this late in the season, we may be looking at (mostly) the group that Atlanta will finish the 2025 season out with. Hopefully they are enough.