Braves Outright Anthony Molina, Lose 40-Man Roster Spot

The Atlanta Braves have quietly reshaped the back end of their pitching depth chart. They outrighted right-hander Anthony Molina to Triple-A Gwinnett, trimming their 40-man roster in the process.

This move won’t make front-page headlines, but it’s the kind of under-the-radar adjustment that can matter over a 162-game season. Contending clubs have to manage their pitching options carefully, and every bit of depth helps.

Braves Open a 40-Man Roster Spot with Molina Move

The Braves’ decision to outright Molina to Triple-A drops Atlanta’s 40-man roster count to 39 players. That gives the front office some welcome flexibility.

In-season, that extra spot might be the difference between landing a useful waiver claim or clearing room for a late-spring non-roster standout. It’s a small move, but the ripple effects can be real.

Atlanta slid Molina through waivers without a public DFA announcement, keeping things low-key. The intention seems pretty clear: hold onto a live-armed righty while freeing a roster spot for more immediate needs.

Who Is Anthony Molina?

Molina, who turns 24 in January, hasn’t thrown a pitch for the Braves yet. He just arrived in the organization, claimed off waivers from the Colorado Rockies.

He’s still more projection than finished product at the big-league level. Originally, he came up in the Tampa Bay Rays system.

The Rockies selected him in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft, which kicked off a chain of events shaping his early MLB career. That’s how he ended up in Atlanta’s orbit.

From Rule 5 Gamble to Organizational Depth Piece

When Colorado took Molina in the Rule 5 Draft, they had to keep him on their active roster or offer him back to Tampa Bay. The Rockies decided to take the risk, hanging onto him in the big leagues all season despite some rough numbers.

At season’s end, Colorado secured his full rights, lifting the Rule 5 restrictions. That gave them more freedom with his assignments going forward.

Rockies Tenure Marked by Tough Results

Molina’s time with Colorado showed flashes of potential but also a steep learning curve. Pitching in offense-heavy environments didn’t help.

The Rockies still kept him on the roster all year, betting on the long-term upside of his arm. Maybe they hoped that, with Rule 5 constraints gone, he’d develop with a bit more breathing room.

A Difficult 2025 Split Between Triple-A and MLB

Without Rule 5 restrictions, 2025 gave Molina a more normal development path. He bounced between Triple-A and the majors, but the results stayed bumpy.

He pitched in two of the game’s more hitter-friendly environments. Even so, the numbers showed he’s still got work to do.

ERA Troubles at Both Levels

Molina’s 2025 stat line tells the story of a pitcher searching for consistency:

Those parks do hitters plenty of favors, but an ERA over six at both stops? That signals command issues, inconsistent execution, or maybe both. For a young pitcher, though, that’s not unusual—sometimes the stuff is there, but the polish just isn’t.

Scouting Snapshot: Why Teams Still Believe

Despite the rough stat lines, Molina’s toolkit explains why teams keep giving him a shot. He’s not just a soft-tossing depth arm—it’s a power profile that needs some sharpening.

On paper and on the radar gun, there’s enough here to justify the Braves’ effort to keep him in the system. You can see why they’d rather not just let him walk.

Velocity and Deep Arsenal

Molina’s appeal? It’s a modern, multi-look arsenal:

That four-pitch spread is rare for a reliever and valuable even if he ends up in the bullpen. The key for Atlanta’s pitching group will be figuring out how to organize that arsenal—maybe emphasize his best two or three pitches, tighten the command, and find a role that really fits him.

What the Outright Means for Molina and the Braves

This is Molina’s first outright assignment. He also has less than three years of MLB service time, so he can’t elect free agency.

He stays under Braves control and will head to Triple-A Gwinnett. There, he’ll serve as organizational depth, and honestly, there’s still some upside left in that arm.

Atlanta gets a low-risk shot here. They keep a young, power-armed righty off the 40-man roster and open up space for whatever’s next.

For Molina, it’s a chance to reset in a pitching-savvy organization. The Braves have a knack for turning raw arms into steady contributors—maybe he’s next?

 
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