The Braves released Matt Carpenter, whom they acquired in the trade that netted left-handed reliever Ray Kerr.
Carpenter is due $5.5 million for 2024. The Padres, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, sent the Braves $1.5 million in the trade, so Atlanta will eat the final $4 million of Carpenter’s contract.
The assumption is that Atlanta tried to find a trade partner for the 38-year-old Carpenter, who is toward the end of his career, but could not. Thus, the Braves needed to release him.
Carpenter was the cost to acquire Kerr, a hard-throwing reliever with a good fastball and curveball combination. He fits the mold of this offseason: Since the Braves were eliminated by the Phillies, president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has re-signed and brought in relievers who throw gas and have stuff.
In 2023, Carpenter hit .176 over 188 at-bats for the Padres. He has played in more than 100 games in only one season since 2019. At this point, the infielder is more of a designated hitter.
The Braves hope Kerr is what they believe him to be. As a major leaguer, he has a 5.06 ERA over 32 innings across 2022 and 2023.
But this year, his four-seam fastball averaged 96 mph. Opponents hit only .143 off his curveball, which produced a whiff rate of almost 54%. (Whiff rate is the percentage that batters whiff when swinging at a pitch.)
