Carlos Torres agrees to minors deal with Braves

The Mets may have thought they had seen the last of Carlos Torres when he elected free agency. However, the division rival Atlanta Braves have inked Torres to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. The Mets designated Torres for assignment on January 22 to free up a spot on the 40-man roster for new lefty reliever Antonio Bastardo.

Once Torres was designated for assignment, it was speculated that Torres could be traded but nothing materialized. He then cleared waivers and elected to become a free agent.

Torres was signed as free agent by the Mets in the winter of 2012 and spent three seasons with the ball club. His best season came in 2014 when he posted a 3.06 ERA in 97 innings. Although Torres averaged his career-best fastball velocity in 2015 at 92.1 MPH, he had a down year, struggling with a 4.68 ERA in 57.2 innings. He also suffered a calf injury in September and was subsequently left off the postseason roster during the Mets' run to the World Series.

Torres's career with the Mets ends with a cumulative 3.59 ERA that spans 241 innings. Perhaps Torres will be most remembered by a circus-like play against the Philadelphia Phillies in August when a ground ball deflected off his foot and first baseman Daniel Murphy made a spectacular no-look flip to Torres at first base.