Let’s say this for the San Diego Padres: They probably set a record by trading one of the most productive hitters in the game and one of the least productive hitters in Major League baseball in the same offseason.
A week after earning about $30 million by trading slugger Juan Soto to the Yankees in a blockbuster deal, the Padres shipped designated hitter Matt Carpenter to the Atlanta Braves for outfielder Drew Campbell. The Padres saved nearly $5 million with the move. Carpenter, 38, was traded for left-handed reliever Ray Kerr and $1.5 million.Carpenter, who became a folk hero with the Yankees in 2022 before leaving for free agency, played first base and served as a design hitter. He exercised a $5.5 million player option in November after coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. He hit .176/.322/.319 and, according to the San Diego Union Tribune, was the only player to consistently make the major league roster without appearing in a game between July 25 and August 14.Over the final five months of the season, Carpenter hit .147/.304/.235 with 49 strikeouts in 171 plate appearances. To get Carpenter out, the Padres also lost one of four lefties on the 40-man roster, Kerr, a 29-year-old rookie who has a 5.06 ERA in 32 innings in the majors. Kerr saved 10 games while striking out 42 batters in 36 innings at Triple-A El Paso in 2023
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