It doesn't feel all that long ago that James Karinchak was an absolute superstar of a relief pitcher.
Those days are long gone, though.
Now, Karinchak is a journeyman just trying to make his career last.
He just signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Braves, only on a minor league contract, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
Karinchak was a free agent since June, having spent the opening portion of the season in Triple-A Charlotte in the Chicago White Sox organization.
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The right-handed reliever hasn't pitched in the majors since 2023, having had a shoulder injury during the 2024 season.
Karinchak broke into the majors in 2019 with Cleveland, putting up a 1.69 ERA in five games.
It was then a 2.67 ERA in 27 games in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
Karinchak struggled a bit at times in 2021, with a 4.07 ERA.
But then he came back in 2022 with a 2.08 ERA.
In 2023, it was 3.23.
Karinchak started to be more erratic in 2023, and everything went downhill in 2024 with his injury.
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In Karinchak's MLB career, he has struck out 253 batters in 165.2 innings pitched, but also walked 98.
He's a character on the mound, walking around while talking to himself and flipping the baseball up and down.
Karinchak may not be for everyone. But if Atlanta can rediscover his dominant self, Karinchak could make it back to the majors.
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