Veteran pitchers David Carpenter and Chris Volstad and catcher Ryan Lavarnway were among the 10 minor-league free agent signings announced Tuesday by the Braves, with all 10 receiving non-roster invitations to major league spring training.
The rest of the group included right-hander Madison Younginer; catchers Willians Astudillo, Matt Kennelly and Braeden Schlehuber; infielders Reid Brignac and Chase d’Arnaud (the older brother of Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud), and outfielder Matt Tuiasosopo.
Carpenter, 30, was a big part of the Braves’ bullpen for two seasons before being traded to the Yankees last winter with reliever Chasen Shreve in exchange for left-handed starter Manny Banuelos.
Although remembered largely for giving up the decisive two-run homer to Juan Uribe in Game 4 of the 2013 division series against the Dodgers, Carpenter was effective and durable for most of his two seasons with the Braves, posting career-bests in ERA (1.78), strikeouts (74) and innings (65 2/3) in 56 appearances in 2013.
After pitching to a 3.54 ERA with 67 strikeouts and 61 hits allowed in 61 innings for the Braves in 2014, Carpenter had a 4.01 ERA in 30 appearances for the Yankees and Nationals in 2015. The Yankees traded him to Washington in June and he made only eight more major league appearances the rest of the season.
Six of Carpenter’s earned runs came in two appearances last season, and he had a 1.90 ERA (five earned runs) in 23 2/3 innings in his other 28 outings.
Volstad, 29, had a 3.18 ERA in 27 games (25 starts) for the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate in 2015, and made one scoreless relief appearance for Pittsburgh. The 6-foot-8 veteran missed parts of two seasons after his last full season in 2012, when he was 3-12 with a 6.31 ERA in 21 starts for the Cubs.
Volstad has a 35-31 career record and 4.92 ERA in 131 games (123 starts) with five major league teams over seven seasons, and worked more than 150 innings in three consecutive seasons for the Marlins during 2009-2011.
Youngineer, a 25-year-old South Carolina native, spent the 2015 season with the Boston’s Triple-A and Double-A teams, posting a 3.03 ERA in 41 relief appearances including 39 in Double-A. He had 57 strikeouts in 77 1/3 innings.
Lavarnway, 27, was a backup to Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski for much of last summer after being released by the Orioles early in the season and signing a minor league deal. He hit .191 with two homers in 106 plate appearances with the Orioles and Braves, including .227 (15-for-66) with five doubles, two homers and .705 OPS in 27 games for Atlanta after being called up from Triple-A Gwinnett.
