MLB Rumors: Marlins Pitcher Shelled By Red Sox Finds New Team

Cal Quantrill is packing his bags, but he won’t have far to travel. The former Miami Marlins pitcher was claimed off waivers Thursday by the Atlanta Braves, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. The move keeps the right-hander in the National League East.

The Marlins waived Quantrill Tuesday, three days after getting shelled Saturday by the Boston Red Sox. Quantrill gave up seven runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings of work. The 30-year-old also walked a batter, hit a batter and thew a wild pitch in the 7-5 loss to the Red Sox.

Quantrill threw 80 pitches, but only 52 for strikes. He faced 21 batters and threw a first-pitch strike just 12 times.

For the season, Quantrill is 4-10 in 24 starts. It’s his second straight season with double-digit losses and his 5.50 ERA this year is the worst of his career.

“Quantrill, 30, is a veteran back-end starter,” MLB Trade Rumors’ Darragh McDonald wrote Thursday. “He doesn’t strike out a ton of guys but avoids walks and hasn’t been hurt very often. The Marlins gave him a one-year, $3.5MM deal coming into 2025. In return, he gave them 109 2/3 innings over 24 starts.

“His 5.50 earned run average and 17.4% strikeout rate aren’t amazing figures, but he had a good stretch in the middle, sandwiched around some rough outings,” McDonald added.

“Nearly all of Quantrill’s struggles, however, were back in April and in his three August starts thus far,” MLB Trade Rumors’ Steve Adams wrote Tuesday. “From May 6 through July 30, Quantrill tossed 71 innings with a 3.55 ERA, 21.3% strikeout rate and 5.6% walk rate. That sort of production would be a bargain, particularly at Quantrill’s price point.”

In going to the Braves, Quantrill joins a team going nowhere this season. Atlanta is 58-69, good for fourth place in the National League East, 16 games behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies.

But Atlanta has several pitchers (including former Red Sox ace Chris Sale) on the injured list, so it’s likely the Braves are just looking for someone to eat innings.

Quantrill is the son of former Red Sox pitcher Paul Quantrill, who made his MLB debut with Boston in 1992. He later played for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Florida Marlins during his 14-year big-league career.

Paul Quantrill was an All-Star in 2001, which was the first of four consecutive seasons with at least 80 appearances.