Matt Carpenter is not expected to have a prolonged stay in Atlanta. The Braves recently acquired the three-time All-Star from the Padres, but sources suggest that he is anticipated to be traded again before making an appearance for the defending NL East champions, according to information from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
The Braves, following a trend observed earlier in the offseason, are planning to trade Carpenter, having taken on $4 million of his $5.5 million salary for 2023 in exchange for lefty reliever Ray Kerr.
Despite earning a two-year deal worth $12 million with San Diego last offseason, Carpenter’s performance in 2023 with the Padres, where he batted just .176 with five homers and a .641 OPS in 76 games, fell short of expectations. The Braves had similarly acquired and subsequently traded pitcher Marco Gonzales to the Pirates and catcher Max Stassi to the White Sox earlier in the offseason.
Carpenter, a veteran of 14 years in the big leagues, had a resurgent year with the Yankees in 2022, hitting 15 home runs in 128 at-bats after being released by the Rangers. The 38-year-old, a career .260 hitter, has played 1,452 Major League games, accumulating 175 homers and 644 RBIs. Notably, Carpenter was part of the pennant-winning Cardinals in 2013 and received MVP votes in three separate seasons during his tenure in St. Louis.
