After what can only be described as an unthinkable number of injuries to their rotation, the Atlanta Braves need arms. Really any arms will do. The Braves were already short on starters before word got out that Grant Holmes' season is likely over. Now, it almost feels like Atlanta is close to taking volunteers from the stands to get through the lineup once. Given some of their solutions lately, getting fans to help may be better a better option.
The Braves already took a flyer on Erick Fedde after he was DFA'd by the Cardinals and that is a move that at least made some sense as Fedde was good last year and has some tools at his disposal. Most thought that Atlanta could turn to some of their internal options for help.
Instead, Atlanta traded for the corpse of Carlos Carrasco in a "PTBNL or cash considerations deal with the Yankees. While Carrasco does technically qualify as a pitcher, to try and argue that fans should breathe a sigh of relief at this news is a bit disinegenuous especially when his old team's beat writers say things like this about him.
A small trade for the #Yankees... Carrasco had some of the worst stuff in the big leagues this season and had dropped among their depth options after earning a spot in an injury-riddled rotation out of spring training.
— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) July 28, 2025
Speaking of injury-riddled rotations, the #Braves are… https://t.co/43kW4zigt8
Braves trade for Carlos Carrasco shows just how bad things have gotten
There is a small amount of good news here in that Carrasco does have experience (perhaps too much), isn't going to cost much in any sense, and he has actually been pitching pretty well down at Triple-A over the last month or so.
The bad news is that Carrasco was unplayably bad when the Yankees gave him a shot back in the majors early in the season and his stuff looked very much like a guy who was 38 years old and needed to retire. Carrasco last posted an ERA lower than 5.64 in the majors in 2022 when he was with the Mets.
Ultimately, there isn't that much lost here. Atlanta was already hurtling towards one of the worst records in baseball in 2025 and they aren't giving up anything of real value to add Carrasco to cover innings for a couple months. That said, it is rough to see things in Atlanta come to this and it is going to be really rough to see this team, especially the rotation, play the rest of the way in all likelihood. Hopefully we are in store for a pleasant surprise.