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On December 18, Matt Carpenter's very short stint with the Atlanta Braves came to and end. The team released the 38-year old on ground of a "bad contract".
The veteran utility man was traded to the Braves from the San Diego Padres alongside Ray Kerr for Drew Campbell. However, buyers remose seemed to set in quick, and the Braves released Carpenter on Monday.
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"The Braves have released Matt Carpenter, who they traded for on Friday, after being unable to trade his bad contract" - Talkin' Baseball
Almost exactly one year ago, Carpenter signed a one-year deal with the San Diego Padres. Although the Texan exercized his $5 million player option for 2024, the Padres were not too keen on keeping him around, especially given the fact that Matt Carpenter hit a mere .176/.322/.319 with 5 home runs and 31 RBIs in 76 games this year.
When the Atlanta Braves acquired Carpenter, they believed that they would be able to forward him, and his contract, to a new suitor. Despite that intent, it appears as though the market for Carpenter was not exactly a hot one, contributing to his being released once more onto the free agency market.
A longtime member of the St. Louis Cardinals, Carpenter is a two-time NL doubles leader and a former NL hits leader. Over the course of his eleven seasons playing for the Cards, Carpenter won three All-Star appearances, a Silver Slugger, and finished sixth in 2012 NL Rookie of the Year voting after hitting .294/.365/.463 with 6 home runs and 46 RBIs.
"Matt Carpenter's four-RBI game. Matt Carpenter collects four RBIs on three hits in an impressive night at the plate against the Rockies in Spring Training." - San Diego Strong
In 2022, Carpenter joined the New York Yankees, and hit .305 over the course of 47 games wearing the pinstripes. However, an injury in August put an end to his stretch, and he left the team at the end of the season in free agency.
2023 might have been Matt Carpenter's final MLB season
Although he showed glimpses of brilliance in his early career, Carpenter's advanced age and shaky health record gives teams plenty of reasons to look the other way. Moreover, any team who signs him will need to absorb the $5 million onto their payroll, which could serve as enough of a reason for teams to put Carpenter out of sight, and out of mind.
