The Atlanta Braves made their first moves to address their bullpen needs on Thursday, claiming right-hander Carson Ragsdale and left-hander Josh Walker off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles.
The move is the first concrete step in a “quiet offseason reload” that Braves President of Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos signaled at the GM meetings, where he stated the team needed to acquire “a lot of relievers.”
After a 2025 season that saw the team’s pitching depth decimated by injuries, these waiver claims begin the process of rebuilding the 40-man roster. The moves come just weeks after the Braves declined the 2026 club options on key relievers Pierce Johnson and Tyler Kinley, and with closer Raisel Iglesias currently a free agent.
The addition of Ragsdale and Walker brings the Braves’ 40-man roster count to 37.
Here is a breakdown of the two new additions.
RHP Carson Ragsdale
For the 27-year-old Ragsdale, this is a familiar move. The Braves previously claimed the 6-foot-8 right-hander off waivers from the Orioles in September 2025, only for Baltimore to claim him back. Atlanta’s second claim in three months signals a strong organizational interest in his high-upside profile.
While Ragsdale struggled in his brief 5.0-inning MLB debut in 2025, he was a notable prospect in the Giants system with a high-strikeout minor-league track record. Ragsdale still has minor-league options remaining, allowing the Braves to send him to Triple-A Gwinnett as valuable starting or relief depth.
LHP Josh Walker
Walker, 30, is the more immediate name to watch. The 6-foot-6 left-hander has a career 6.59 ERA in 27.1 big-league innings but has posted elite strikeout numbers in the minor leagues (30.5% K-rate from 2022-2025).
The most critical factor for Walker is that he is out of minor-league options. This means he cannot be sent to Gwinnett and must compete for a spot on the Braves’ 26-man Opening Day roster during Spring Training, or the team will be forced to designate him for assignment.
