Former Yankees slugger gets dumped after three days with…

admin | December 19, 2023 | Other Clubs | No Comments

Matt Carpenter lasted three days as a member of the loaded Atlanta Braves.

According to sources, the Braves dismissed him on Monday after acquiring him, left-handed reliever Ray Kerr, and cash from the San Diego Padres for minor league outfielder Drew Campbell on Friday.

In essence, the Braves took on $4 million of Carpenter’s $5.5 million salary in order to acquire Kerr from San Diego, which is reducing its payroll this offseason. (See also: Juan Soto to the Yankees.)

Carpenter’s career was revived by the Yankees in 2022, and he batted.176 with a.641 OPS, five home runs, and 31 RBI in 188 at-bats with the Padres in 2023. Carpenter hit.305 with an out-of-this-world 1.138 OPS, 15 home runs, and 37 RBI in 47 games (128 at-bats) with New York, largely as a designated hitter but also playing numerous positions.

Carpenter turned his resurgent 2022 season into a two-year, $12 million contract with a player option for 2024, which he exercised in November for $5.5 million.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres made a mistake by signing Carpenter, who did not appear in a game from July 25 to August 14 despite being on the roster. Carpenter might now sign with a new team at a far lower wage for a job with no guaranteed role, but it will likely take some time as teams prioritize filling their larger needs first.

Kerr, 29, had a 3.44 ERA and 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings in 27 big-league innings last year.