In a “sneaky, high-impact” move that signals a bold 2026 strategy, the Atlanta Braves have snatched two pitchers off the waiver wire from the Baltimore Orioles, leaving fans wondering what big domino falls next in Atlanta’s quiet offseason reload.
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves’ “quiet offseason” just ignited. In a classic Alex Anthopoulos “table-setting” maneuver, the team announced on Thursday that it has snatched two pitchers off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles: right-hander Carson Ragsdale and left-hander Josh Walker.
While waiver claims in mid-November rarely cause a “roster shakeup,” this move is being seen as a “sneaky, high-impact” signal of a bold 2026 strategy. After a 2025 season derailed by pitching injuries, Anthopoulos is beginning his “reload” by aggressively stockpiling high-upside arms.
The move has fans buzzing, not just about the new players, but about what “big domino” is set to fall next.
The “Sneaky” Move: A Familiar Face and a Lefty Project
This move is a “classic” Anthopoulos play: acquiring talent that other teams are forced to let go.
- RHP Carson Ragsdale: This is the second time in three months the Braves have claimed Ragsdale. Atlanta briefly snagged him in September 2025 before the Orioles claimed him back. Anthopoulos’s “stubborn” second claim signals the organization sees significant, untapped potential in the 27-year-old’s high-strikeout minor league track record, despite his brief and rocky MLB debut (14.40 ERA in 5.0 IP).
- LHP Josh Walker: Walker, 30, is a more experienced arm, having pitched 27 games for the Mets and Blue Jays over the last three seasons. As a lefty who is out of minor-league options, he represents an immediate “now-or-never” competitor for a big-league bullpen spot in Spring Training.
The “Bold Strategy”: Stockpiling Depth
The strategy itself is “bold” because it is a direct response to the 2025 season’s failures. The Braves’ pitching depth “crumbled” under injuries, and the bullpen is now paper-thin after the team declined options on Pierce Johnson and Tyler Kinley, and closer Raisel Iglesias became a free agent.
These claims are the “first step” in a “quiet reload,” filling the 40-man roster with controllable, high-upside arms before Anthopoulos goes hunting for his “big domino.”
The move “ignites” the offseason by officially starting the re-tooling of the pitching staff. The Braves’ front office is signaling that it will be aggressive on all fronts, from the waiver wire to the top of the free-agent market.
What “Big Domino” Falls Next?
These claims are the appetizer. By snatching Ragsdale and Walker, the Braves have set the table, and now fans are “wondering” what the main course will be.
The “big domino” is still on the board. Will this depth allow Anthopoulos to focus his “war chest” on one “mega-deal” for a closer like Edwin Díaz? Does it set him up to pursue a frontline starter like Ranger Suárez? Or does it give him the flexibility to solve the shortstop hole?
This “sneaky” roster shakeup is the first clear signal of the Braves’ 2026 plan: build a fortress of pitching depth so that a 2025-style collapse can never happen again.
