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ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Braves right-hander Brandon McCarthy, who missed the second half of the season with a knee injury, is eligible to become a free agent if he chooses to continue his career.
Major League Baseball and the players' union have determined McCarthy's conditional team option was not triggered.
McCarthy agreed to a $48 million, four-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers before the 2015 season, and the deal included a $5 conditional team option for 2019 if he spent more than 179 days on the disabled list from 2015-18 due to a specific injury. If he spent 119-179 days on the DL during that span because of the specific injury, there would have been an $8 million team option.
The 35-year-old told MLB.com in August he plans to retire, but he remains on the Braves' 40-man roster.
McCarthy was 6-3 with a 4.92 ERA in 15 games this season. He was placed on the disabled list on June 28 with right knee tendinitis and never returned.
McCarthy was acquired by Atlanta from Los Angeles following the 2017 season in the deal that sent outfielder Matt Kemp to the Dodgers. McCarthy had surgery in April 2015 to repair a torn ligament in his right elbow, had Tommy John surgery and returned to the Dodgers in July 2016. He missed time in 2017 with a dislocated left shoulder.
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