The Atlanta Braves spent much of the past year in an unusual pattern with veteran pitcher Carlos Carrasco. Whenever the club needed another experienced arm to reinforce its organizational pitching depth, Carrasco seemed to find his way back. Just as quickly, he would be designated for assignment, elect free agency, and then return on another minor league contract.
That sequence repeated itself seven different times, creating one of the strangest roster stories in recent memory.
Now, that cycle has finally reached its conclusion.
Carrasco Heads Overseas After Braves Exit
Rather than signing another deal with Atlanta after his latest departure, the 39-year-old right-hander is taking his career overseas. Carrasco has signed with the LG Twins, the defending champions of the Korea Baseball Organization, allowing the former Cy Young contender to continue pitching in a new environment.
According to reports, the LG Twins announced Wednesday that Carrasco will earn $360,000 for the remainder of the KBO season. The club made room for the veteran by releasing reliever Yacksel Rios, opting to strengthen its starting rotation with a pitcher who owns 112 career Major League victories.
The move officially ends Carrasco’s lengthy relationship with the Braves organization, which became defined less by his appearances on the mound than by the constant roster transactions surrounding him. Each time Atlanta designated him for assignment, Carrasco elected free agency. Until now, he repeatedly returned on another minor league agreement whenever the organization needed experienced pitching depth.
Seven DFAs Created an Unusual Roster Story
As MLB Trade Rumors‘ Steve Adams noted, Carrasco’s departure closes what may have been one of the longest-running designation-for-assignment cycles in recent baseball history. Seven DFA decisions over roughly a calendar year, followed by seven returns, created a remarkably consistent pattern that finally came to an end with his decision to head to South Korea.
Although his final chapter with Atlanta revolved around roster maneuvering, Carrasco’s overall major league career tells a much different story. For nearly a decade, he ranked among baseball’s most dependable starting pitchers.
A Proven Career Gets a New Opportunity
Between 2014 and 2022, Carrasco logged 1,209 2/3 innings while posting a 3.59 ERA. During that stretch, he recorded a 27.2% strikeout rate and an outstanding 6% walk rate, combining durability with consistent command. Despite those numbers, he never earned an All-Star selection, a notable omission considering the quality of his production.
His finest season came in 2017, when he finished fourth in American League Cy Young Award voting after leading all of Major League Baseball with 18 victories. His performance also helped earn him one of two lucrative contract extensions during his time with Cleveland, where he established himself as one of the organization’s most reliable starters.
Now, instead of another return to Atlanta, Carrasco begins a new chapter with the LG Twins. For the veteran right-hander, the move offers another opportunity to extend a career that has already spanned more than a decade in the majors. For the Braves, it finally closes the book on an extraordinary roster saga that seemed destined to continue indefinitely before taking an unexpected turn overseas.
