There has plenty of housekeeping done league wide, as teams prepare for the start of the 2026-2027 MLB offseason, especially when it comes to clearing spots on the 40-man roster. One team that attemped to quietly pass a player through waivers was the Washington Nationals, who had to make a decision on lefty swingman Mitchell Parker, who had spent the final half of the season on the 60-day IL with a UCL sprain.
The Atlanta Braves, with several spots on their 40-man roster spot to spare, decided to take a chance on the lefty, claiming him off of waivers on Monday.
Braves take chance on rival lefty Mitchell Parker with early offseason waiver claim
To put it bluntly, Parker has not had a lot of success at the major league level. Although he's had some stellar starts here and there, the lefty has a career 5.19 ERA and 4.56 FIP in 355.1 innings. Last season, the Nationals used him exclusively as a reliever, where he compiled 39.2 innings over 22 games with a 6.58 ERA.
In June, Parker sprained his UCL, and while Tommy John surgery was initially the recommendation, it appears the 26-year-old opted instead for the internal brace surgery, which Spencer Strider had during the 2024 season. This would likely put Parker out until around June or July.
The lefty, when healthy, is slightly above average when it comes to limiting walks and generates a healthy amount of whiffs and chases, but struggles actually putting batters away, and struggles limiting hard contact. Parker throws four pitches, a slider, four-seamer, curveball, and splitter, though none of them were particularly effective in 2026.
The Braves, who have extra spots on their 40-man roster, can afford to take a flyer on a big league lefty who has generally underperformed his FIP. Parker also has options remaining, which gives Atlanta plenty of flexibility after he rehabs from his injury, if he manages to stay on the 40-man roster through the offseason.
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