Atlanta Braves expected to trade newly acquired Matt Carpenter
The Braves acquired the former Yankee and three-time All-Star from the Padres on Friday, but he is expected to be traded again before playing for the defending NL East champions, according to The Athletic’sMarco Gonzales.As @DOBrienATL noted, the Braves plan to trade Matt Carpenter, just as they flipped Marco Gonzales and Max Stassi after acquiring them in separate trades earlier this offseason, sources tell @TheAthletic. Team took on $4M of Carpenter’s $5.5M salary to obtain LH reliever Ray Kerr…
Atlanta took on $4 million of Carpenter’s $5.5 million salary for 2023 in order to obtain lefty reliever Ray Kerr in the deal.
Carpenter, 38, had a resurgent year for the Yankees in 2022, with 15 home runs in 128 at-bats after he’d been released by the Rangers.
That production earned Carpenter a two-year deal worth $12 million with San Diego last offseason, but he batted just .176 with five homers and a .641 OPS in 76 games for the Padres in 2023.
Earlier this offseason, the Braves also acquired and then flipped pitcher Marco Gonzales to the Pirates and catcher Max Stassi to the White Sox with cash considerations in both deals.
Carpenter, a longtime St. Louis Cardinal, is entering is 14th year in the big leagues in 2024.
A career .260 hitter, Carpenter has logged 1,452 career Major League games with 175 homers and 644 RBIs.
Carpenter played for the pennant-winning Cardinals in 2013 and received MVP votes in three separate seasons during his tenure in St. Louis.
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Braves add former Yankee Matt Carpenter in trade with Padres
Matt Carpenter is coming back to the east.
After a year with the disappointing Padres, where he himself struggled, the longtime infielder and three-time All-Star is coming to the Braves in a trade with San Diego.
The 2022 Yankees standout is coming to Atlanta along with left-handed pitcher Ray Kerr and cash considerations in exchange for minor league outfielder Drew Campbell, the Braves announced on X.
Padres writer Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported that the Padres are sending $1.5 million as part of the deal.
Carpenter, 38, hit a paltry .176 last season in just 237 plate appearances across 76 games while in San Diego.
The downturn followed a season of rejuvenation in The Bronx in which Carpenter hit .305 with a 1.138 OPS — mashing 15 homers with 37 RBIs — in 47 games as a Yankee in 2022.
