The Atlanta Braves have officially parted ways with veteran infielder/designated hitter Matt Carpenter, as reported by Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
This move comes just a few days after the Braves acquired Carpenter, absorbing $4 million of his $5.5 million salary, along with the corresponding luxury tax implications.
The initial transaction was essentially a financial maneuver to acquire left-handed reliever Ray Kerr from the Padres.
Although the Braves had initially aimed to follow a pattern of acquiring and swiftly trading players like Marco Gonzales, Evan White, and Max Stassi in salary-driven exchanges, they encountered difficulty finding a trade partner willing to take on Carpenter, even at the reduced rate.
Consequently, Carpenter is now a free agent, and any new team interested in his services will only be responsible for the league minimum salary during his time on the big league roster. The Braves and Padres will continue to cover the remainder of his salary.
Carpenter, aged 38, experienced a resurgent season with the Yankees in 2022, boasting impressive numbers with a .305/.412/.727 slash line and 15 home runs in just 154 plate appearances.
Despite a season-ending broken foot, this performance earned him a two-year, $12 million contract with the Padres in the subsequent offseason.
Regrettably, Carpenter’s 2023 season with the Padres did not mirror his stellar 2022 campaign. Instead, it resembled his 2020-21 decline, evidenced by a .176/.322/.319 slash line in 237 plate appearances.
Despite maintaining a substantial 17.3% walk rate, Carpenter’s increased strikeout rate, coupled with declining exit velocity and hard-hit rate, signaled a regression.
Carpenter’s notable emphasis on elevating the ball to career-high levels in 2022 may have been taken to an extreme in 2023, resulting in 10 harmless pop-ups among his limited plate appearances.
With the freedom to sign a league-minimum MLB deal or even a minor league contract with a spring training invitation, Carpenter, known for his left-handed bat, is expected to attract interest from teams.
While replicating his outstanding 2022 production may be a stretch, the low-risk nature of signing Carpenter presents an opportunity for a new club to potentially capitalize on his previous success, reminiscent of the 2022 Yankees’ strategy.
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