The Braves announced Thursday that they’ve released right-hander Cal Quantrill and designated infielder/outfielder Luke Williams for assignment. That duo’s roster spots will go to outfielder Jurickson Profar, who’s returning from the paternity list, and righty Daysbel Hernandez, who has been recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Quantrill’s time with Atlanta will last all of two weeks. The Braves claimed the righty off waivers from the Marlins on Aug. 21, absorbing the remaining $715K on his $3.5MM salary in the process. They’ll end up getting just two starts for that roll of the dice; Quantrill allowed three runs on five hits and five walks in 4 2/3 innings against the Mets on Aug. 23 before being shelled for nine runs in 3 1/3 innings against the Phillies five days later. His Atlanta stint concludes with a grisly 13.50 ERA in eight innings.
It’s been a rough year on the whole for the veteran Quantrill, whose Braves struggles pushed his ERA to 6.04 in 117 2/3 innings. That unsightly endpoint masks what was a decent run midseason. Quantrill struggled immensely in April but posted a 3.55 ERA, 21.3% strikeout rate and 5.6% walk rate in 14 starts from May 1 through the end of July.
A team in need of innings could sign Quantrill for the final three weeks of the regular season and would only owe him the prorated minimum, but there’s also a chance this will be the end of his season. He’ll be a free agent this winter regardless, but with a 5.39 ERA dating back to 2023, he’ll likely be limited to minor league offers in free agency.
Williams, 29, has been with the Braves since they claimed him off waivers in June 2023, but he’s spent the bulk of his time in Gwinnett. Atlanta has given Williams a total of 94 plate appearances in the majors, during which he’s slashed .153/.215/.212. (He’s also held opponents to four runs in 10 innings of mop-up relief.)
A third-round pick of the Phillies back in 2015, Williams has never hit much in the majors. He’s a career .213/.271/.281 batter in 348 turns at the plate but carries a steadier .259/.338/.406 slash in parts of five Triple-A seasons. Williams has primarily been a third baseman since turning pro but has more than 300 innings at each of the four infield positions and in both outfield corners.
Now that he’s been designated for assignment, Williams will head to outright waivers. Assuming he clears, he’ll be able to reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency by virtue of the fact that he’s previously ben outrighted in his career.