This offseason, the Atlanta Braves have been very busy.
With a league-high 104 games won, Atlanta was by far the best team during the regular season of the previous year. Despite having a strong roster, the Braves were unable to advance far in the playoffs and lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series.
The Braves have been adding players this offseason, and on Friday they added outfielder Drew Campbell in exchange for left-handed pitcher Ray Kerr, former St. Louis Cardinals All-Star Matt Carpenter, and cash considerations from the San Diego Padres, according to the team.
“We have acquired OF Drew Campbell from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for DH/INF Matt Carpenter, LHP Ray Kerr, and cash considerations,” the Padres announced.
Carpenter played for the Padres during the 2023 season, but he was inconsistent in 76 games. The three-time All-Star slashed, drove in 31 runs, and slugged five home runs.176—(.322/.319). At 38 years old, he is probably more of a depth player than a starter at this stage of his career, but he could still be useful to a team.
With the New York Yankees in 47 games in 2022, Carpenter slashed.305/.412/.727, hit 15 home runs, and drove in 37 runs. He would be an excellent depth piece if he could return to this level of play.
Despite this, it does not appear that he will work for Atlanta in this capacity. Carpenter was acquired by the Braves, but David O’Brien of The Athletic reports that they plan to trade him.
“To reiterate, the Braves are expected to flip Carpenter to another team, sooner rather than later,” O’Brien stated. “Like they did with the bad contracts they took on in deal for (Jarred Kelenic).”
If Carpenter is moving around in the not too distant future, don’t be shocked.
