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Brewers To Non-Tender Chris Carter

By Jeff Todd | November 28, 2016 at 8:33pm CDT

The Brewers have decided to non-tender power-hitting first baseman Chris Carter, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link). MLBTR had projected Carter to earn $8.1MM in arbitration.

Carter, 29, signed on with Milwaukee after he was non-tendered last winter by the Astros, agreeing to a one-year, $2.5MM pact. He rewarded the club with a .222/.321/.499 batting line and a league-leading 41 home runs over 644 plate appearances.

Jul 16, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Chris Carter hits an RBI double against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

It’s certainly somewhat unusual to see a forty-homer bat set loose despite ongoing control. In fact, Carter has another year of arb eligibility beyond 2017. But it isn’t as if his prodigious power output came as a surprise; he swatted 37 dingers back in 2014.

The trouble with Carter is that he has never managed to reach base consistently. He also led the National League with 206 strikeouts last year. Then there’s the fact that he’s rather limited in the field. Carter’s days in the outfield are probably numbered, and he drew negative metrics last year at first.

MLBTR’s Charlie Wilmoth recently broke down the arbitration decision facing the Brewers, explaining that it was a tougher call than it seemed at first glance. While more than three quarters of MLBTR readers who participated in a poll felt Carter should be tendered, that wasn’t the course pursued by Milwaukee GM David Stearns.

All signs point to a move back to the American League, where Carter can spend time at DH while perhaps occasionally stepping in at first. Beyond the pure home run output, he has managed to maintain a lifetime 112 OPS+, even if it comes with a cringe-worthy batting average (.218) and OBP (.314). Carter owns a career 33.1% strikeout rate, and that probably won’t change, though he has managed to draw walks at a solid 11.6% clip. And it’s worth noting, too, that he has not traditionally carried very pronounced platoon splits.

[RELATED: Brewers Depth Chart]

Milwaukee, it seems, decided against committing that much cash to a one-dimensional player who would’ve been forced onto the field. The team isn’t exactly bristling with replacement options. The Brewers just claimed and then designated Adam Walker — a younger, cheaper player who carries Carter’s general profile at the plate — and could perhaps give him a chance if he clears waivers. Prospect Jacob Nottingham could also get a look, though perhaps the odds are that the rebuilding club will end up looking outside the organization to fill its needs at first base for 2017.

The Brewers surely would’ve preferred to find a trade partner for Carter, but his salary was likely a deterrent. And the open market is full of power options this winter, with players like Mike Napoli, Brandon Moss, Carlos Beltran, Matt Holliday, Pedro Alvarez, and Steve Pearce all expected to be available for one or two-year commitments.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Milwaukee Brewers Newsstand Transactions Chris Carter

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View Comments (159)
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159 Comments

  1. ib6ub9

    9 years ago

    what the hell

    Reply
    • Travis’ Wood

      9 years ago

      What? Carter sucks

      Reply
      • Chefno2

        9 years ago

        Nice to see teams understand that home run power alone doesn’t equal value.

        Reply
        • New Law Era

          9 years ago

          Slugging .499 with paltry OBP numbers is pretty impressive. It’s not like he was in their long term plans but I’m guessing they try to bring him back. His arb projection definitely makes him too high of a cost.

          If they bring him back, he seems like a trade deadline guy.

          Reply
  2. Ben0692

    9 years ago

    He’ll be a good DH

    Reply
  3. seamaholic 2

    9 years ago

    Whoa … Didn’t they just cut the first baseman they claimed on waivers last week? Like, earlier today?

    What the heck, Brewers?

    Reply
    • statmaster96

      9 years ago

      Yeah but Walker isn’t gonna be a Major Leaguer soon anyways.

      Reply
    • sad tormented neglected mariners fan

      2 months ago

      I am from the future don’t ask how I got here

      Reply
  4. 1ScottyB1

    9 years ago

    Back to the Red Sox?

    Reply
    • rascalking

      9 years ago

      Wrong Chris Carter.

      Reply
      • ray_derek

        9 years ago

        Back to writing episodes of the X-Files?

        Reply
        • jigokusabre0

          9 years ago

          Back to the Eagles?

          Reply
  5. strostro

    9 years ago

    could’ve used him as a good trade chip

    Reply
    • Travis’ Wood

      9 years ago

      Since when are 1B with .321 OBP and .9 WAR good trade chips?

      Reply
      • Phillies2017

        9 years ago

        I can think of a lot of teams that would drop some serious prospects for 41 home runs at an affordable $8.5m proj.

        Reply
        • GarryHarris

          9 years ago

          What is wrong with people? MLB salaries are out of control. How can a player make $8.5M and be considered affordable?

          Reply
        • Nick4747

          9 years ago

          When the qualifying offer is 17.2, the ridiculous contracts that get signed for bullpen help that isn’t even a closer or Andrew miller type not to mention the billion dollar deals mid market teams are getting the $ is so ridiculous that 8 mill is kinda chump change. That’s a deal even Tampa may look @

          Reply
      • Aaron Sapoznik

        9 years ago

        Especially when they also post 206 SO’s in 644 PA’s while also fielding at a -1.5 dWAR.

        Brewers fans should be reminded that they just signed Carter as a free agent last season for $2.5MM when he was expected to make twice that as a first time arbitration eligible player with the Astros before being non-tendered by the December 1st deadline. None of his negatives on offense or defense have improved, so some other organization will now have an opportunity to get the player he has always been throughout his career…big time power and little else.

        Btw-The Brewers will also have another chance to re-sign Carter as a FA, perhaps for significantly less than his $8.1MM projected arbitration salary in 2017…just like last year.

        Reply
        • Aaron Sapoznik

          9 years ago

          Btw- Carter was a former White Sox draft pick in 2005 (15th round) who never played on the South Side but did fetch Carlos Quentin in a straight up swap with the Diamondbacks in 2007. Two weeks later, Carter was flipped to the A’s in a much bigger trade that also involved big names like OF Carlos (“Cargo”) Gonzalez, right-handed SP Dan Haren and southpaw Brett Anderson. He finally made his big league debut in 2010 with Oakland before being traded once again in 2013 to the Astros in a package deal that netted Oakland infielder Jed Lowrie.

          Reply
      • sad tormented neglected mariners fan

        2 months ago

        Pete Alonso many years later

        Reply
    • Blue_Painted_Dreams_LA

      9 years ago

      Well seeing as he went unclaimed on waivers begs the question as if anybody was even interested

      Reply
      • Aaron Sapoznik

        9 years ago

        The non-tender deadline for arbitration eligible players will be Friday of this week. Carter’s free agency will become official the following day unless he is traded in the meantime, which now appears unlikely. Technically speaking, the Brewers have not made an “official” announcement or release, meaning no waivers have been requested, as the deadline approaches.

        Reply
        • Blue_Painted_Dreams_LA

          9 years ago

          I was talking about at trade deadline. I understand how to the non tender deadline works.

          Reply
    • User 4245925809

      9 years ago

      Doubt it. The guy was a poor man’s Dave Kingman at the best of times, only Kingman had his dog as a personal bat boy to draw attention sometimes away from the fact he was mostly a 1 trick pony HR hitter, who otherwise had -0- defensive ability, not to mention strikeout machine.

      Reply
      • GarryHarris

        9 years ago

        I would rate Chris Carter’s offense between Gorman Thomas and Dave Kingman.
        Thomas was a good defensive CF; Kingman was actually a much worse defender…..than anyone.
        Kingman bounced around quite abit but became an asset once he became Oakland’s full-time DH, at a time Oakland just needed bodies..

        Reply
  6. ccremer2

    9 years ago

    Leads the league in HR and then gets cut. Shoes how much the sport is changing

    Reply
    • 24TheKid

      9 years ago

      .221 batting average almost deserves to be cut.

      Reply
      • woodhead1986

        9 years ago

        incorrect. .318 OBP and no defense deserves to be cut.

        Reply
        • ccremer2

          9 years ago

          When in recent memory has a 41 HR player with another year of cheap control gotten cut though?

          Reply
        • doolittle

          9 years ago

          Last year. The same player.

          Reply
        • statmaster96

          9 years ago

          He played decent defense. Not great but I have definitely seen worse defenders.

          Reply
        • stymeedone

          9 years ago

          He had better stats than Trumbo did in 2015, before he was traded to Baltimore. Looks like Baltimore now has an opportunity to pick up the next Trumbo cheap. He even gets on base more.

          Reply
        • sad tormented neglected mariners fan

          2 months ago

          He was not in fact the next trumbo

          Reply
      • Jizz Chasholm

        9 years ago

        The average isn’t the problem. It’s the no defense, running and average obp that’s the problem

        Reply
  7. Kayrall

    9 years ago

    Please sign with the Rockies.

    Reply
    • vvadnala

      9 years ago

      Haha he’d put up huge numbers there

      Reply
      • cba93

        9 years ago

        Rockies for 50 haha

        Reply
  8. oneear

    9 years ago

    How do you non tender a guy who hit 41 home runs?

    Reply
    • vvadnala

      9 years ago

      Exactly. 41 HRs and 94 RBIs. What more do you want from a guy?

      Reply
      • robbiecraig

        9 years ago

        Makes me wonder what contract Trumbo will get now.

        Reply
        • Dmalsch22

          9 years ago

          I agree, Chris carter is mark trumbo, yeah he has a lower batting average but both players WAR where hardly above replacement level, as a Yankee fan I would like to see them sign carter as the dh. If it works out and he hits 40 great, if not use the dh as a revolving door to rest players. Don’t give up a draft pick on Edwin, Bautista, or cespedes. Let the kids play and just maybe we might have something special

          Reply
      • Blue_Painted_Dreams_LA

        9 years ago

        Preferably not K’ing 206 times why playing bad defense.

        Reply
      • Cam

        9 years ago

        What more do they want? Lots, actually. A decent OBP, any defensive ability, any baserunning ability..

        Reply
        • Dmalsch22

          9 years ago

          His OBP is actually decent, he did walk a lot but the rest is true

          Reply
    • seamaholic 2

      9 years ago

      Well, I didn’t realize how abysmal his defense is. Both B-R and FG say he’s worth less than a win above replacement, due to being almost comically bad with the glove. At that rate, paying a guy $8m is a losing proposition.

      As a DH though, and cheaper than that, he’s a prize.

      Reply
    • The Oregonian

      9 years ago

      Agreed. 8 million for 40+ bombs is very reasonable regardless of the low average. Brewers just lost out, the Rockies will probably sign him within the week.

      Reply
      • The Oregonian

        9 years ago

        The Indians as a cheaper Napoli replacement might also be a good destination for him.

        Reply
        • GarryHarris

          9 years ago

          The issue is $8.5M for a one dimensional player. He loses games with his lack of defense and strikes out, wasting quality ABs.

          The Indians don’t need another DH type.

          Reply
        • Nick4747

          9 years ago

          Like Napoli?

          Reply
      • jigokusabre0

        9 years ago

        Carter would be a great fit for Miami. A platoon partner for Justin Bour, and a much needed shot of power in an average-heavy lineup.

        Reply
  9. Philliesfan4life

    9 years ago

    O’s or the angels make good fits

    Reply
    • realgone2

      9 years ago

      I guess the Os could DH him but they already have low BA high strike out guys.

      Reply
      • Philliesfan4life

        9 years ago

        A shame he can’t play left field , angels could use his big bat

        Reply
        • GeoKaplan

          9 years ago

          Yes, because another RH DH after Pujols and Cron is just what the team needs.

          Reply
        • HaloShane

          9 years ago

          Exactly Geo…. This guy obviously has zero clue in regards to the Halos needs.

          Reply
        • chesteraarthur

          9 years ago

          according to him they need everyone

          Reply
    • cba93

      9 years ago

      Winners hit pitchers pitches in the gap not mistakes for hr. Could be a good platoon guy somewhere but strikes out too much to win

      Reply
    • HaloShane

      9 years ago

      Angels make a good fit???? The Angels only have like 4 1B and a team full of DH. Typical Angel fan for you.

      Reply
  10. frankm

    9 years ago

    if your Colorado why not
    potential 50 hrs in Colorado and u wont have to spend big

    Reply
    • seamaholic 2

      9 years ago

      No way. CO really likes good defenders. They won’t be interested. He’ll be someone’s DH.

      Reply
  11. bigcubsfan

    9 years ago

    Probably will sing with an AL team to be their DH. I think he will get a one year contract with maybe an option on a second year.

    Reply
    • Philliesfan4life

      9 years ago

      Boston would make some sense for him

      Reply
      • frankm

        9 years ago

        yea with that green monster would be good fit
        yanks do have a dh spot open as well?

        Reply
    • bigcubsfan

      9 years ago

      Why autocorrect? I meant sign not sing, but I would want to see Carter try singing for the lols.

      Reply
  12. oneear

    9 years ago

    This sounds like BS

    Reply
  13. corndaddy03

    9 years ago

    Good. He is terrible

    Reply
  14. Brixton

    9 years ago

    Hes basically Ryan Howard. Hes no good

    Reply
    • Phillies2017

      9 years ago

      Howard never walked as much

      Reply
      • davidcoonce74

        9 years ago

        Howard, early in his career, had two seasons with over 100 walks and one with 81. His decline was steep and quick, but he wasn’t bad in the beginning.

        Reply
  15. jljr222

    9 years ago

    This screams Dan Duquette to me when Trumbo gets too expensive.

    Reply
  16. dbacksrs

    9 years ago

    Mets should sign him, non-tender Duda, and pray that he improves with his glove.

    Reply
    • woodhead1986

      9 years ago

      fairly certain they said already they planned to tender Duda. and frankly, if they cut him they should aim higher. EE would be the logical fit.

      Reply
      • Nick4747

        9 years ago

        Except ee can’t play first full time no dh no ee.

        Reply
  17. frankm

    9 years ago

    Ryan Howard Chris Carter platoon would be real solid lol

    Reply
    • Ry.the.Stunner

      9 years ago

      Except the fact that both of their power comes against RHP.

      Reply
  18. darenh

    9 years ago

    I suspect they tried to swing a trade but need to open a roster spot for someone who doesn’t cost $8mil.

    Reply
  19. hamelin4mvp

    9 years ago

    Boy oh boy – Brewers fans are going to miss those bombs off the scoreboard at Miller Park. Pay $30-$90 a ticket to see Braun, Villar and Arcia and that’s about it for 2017.

    Reply
  20. Kia Sportage Off-roader

    9 years ago

    Isn’t it spelled Cris Carter? The NFL WR in the Hall of Fame that did drugs then got good? Oh wait, it’s the chubby guy who hits 40 HRs but has a .200 BA…

    Reply
    • astrosfan4life

      9 years ago

      Dude isn’t chubby at all, but he does struggle to hit .200 every year.

      Reply
  21. GrumpyOldBearFan

    9 years ago

    This guy had to go. Every time he whiffed, the breeze messed up Front Row Amy’s hair.

    Reply
    • Kia Sportage Off-roader

      9 years ago

      My off-roading Kia buddies near Milwaukee say Amy was removing for sharting once. I take their word, they also called the overtaking of Jeep by Kia as Americas #1 off road brand. Then it happened.

      Reply
  22. jackt

    9 years ago

    I like this move quite a bit. Saving some money a guy that’s not a part of the rebuilding plan. It was fun watching CC hit some bombs this year, but the Brewers can use that money for some mid-tier quality free agents this winter. That or save for next off-season when they plan to compete in 2018.

    Reply
  23. galihaaben 2

    9 years ago

    This guy was making 2.5 million in 2016. Understandable that he has a crappy BA with a high strikeout rate, but that’s pretty much what sluggers are. 94 RBIs isn’t bad either. But now that he’s loose, his name has “Baltimore Orioles” written all over it.

    Reply
    • L.Wrong Hubbard

      9 years ago

      Pedro Alvarez Part II

      Reply
      • Manny's Pancakes

        9 years ago

        Exactly. Although I would hope it would be more Mark Trumbo/Nelson Cruz than Pedro Alvarez. At 29 and with some arbitration years left, this could be a great pickup for the O’s in hitter friendly Camden yards. Could spell Davis at 1st if they want to rest him during a back to back game.

        Reply
  24. driftcat28 2

    9 years ago

    Yankees possibly? Could be a cheap alternative if Beltran signs elsewhere and EE is too much.

    Reply
  25. kimball0401

    9 years ago

    Let’s get something going cashman

    Reply
  26. mrperkins

    9 years ago

    The brewers don’t have much to draw fans on. An occaisional mammoth home run helps and you would think a 40 hr guy who is only owed about 3 mill the rest of the year would draw interest around the league July 31st. Seems like wasting of resources on the brewers, but then again they got 41 hr for 2.5 mill last year so you can’t dog them too much.

    Reply
    • davbee

      9 years ago

      The Brewers drew less fans with Carter in 2016 (2.3 million) than they did without him in 2015 (2.5 million). And they even won more games in 2016. Chris Carter means nothing to attendance.

      Reply
      • mrperkins

        9 years ago

        That is because they keep racking up losing seasons. Carter at 5 mil for half a year and trade him for a low level prospect midseason is a good idea. Telling your fan base you are already giving up on this year by declining a proven supply of power on a fair contract is not going to help. I’d be all for it if he was blocking someone but you may as well pay the league leading hr hitter a pretty paltry sum in nowhere’s ville to stick around an extra year to gain some assets. Not like free agents are going to be lining up to sign there the next few years.

        Reply
        • stymeedone

          9 years ago

          Its also not likely that teams will be lining up to sign Carter.

          Reply
    • Theresabrewing

      9 years ago

      Only a horribly run team adds players just for short term gain such as attendance. If you want better attendance then win. Winning is always the answer for that (unless you’re the Rays).

      Reply
      • Nick4747

        9 years ago

        The red sox have done it twice with carl Crawford and Pablo had cheaper better alternatives that fit their needs more.

        Reply
  27. Deke

    9 years ago

    Hey any Sabermetrics people be able to answer this. If Carter were purely a DH and there was therefore no fielding component to his WAR. Would that change his calculated WAR? Or would it remain the same?

    Reply
    • lyle

      9 years ago

      His WAR would be worse due to positional adjustment. Designated hitters take the biggest hit.
      fangraphs.com/library/war/war-position-players/

      Reply
      • Dmalsch22

        9 years ago

        Especially since his offensive war was terrible this year too at 1.4 take away his terrible defense and yes it goes down. Just look at Ortiz, most of his career his been around a 3 to 4 war guy

        Reply
      • Lanidrac

        9 years ago

        Yet, the negative hit to his WAR would be based entirely on the DH positional adjustment rather the combined factors of the 1B positional adjustment and his negative defensive numbers at those positions. I believe it depends on just how bad his defense is as to whether or not it would it would make his defensive WAR even worse to move to DH.

        In short, his 2016 defensive WAR = 1B positional adjustment + 1B defensive runs above replacement (which is a negative number in Carter’s case), while his likely 2017 defensive WAR will just = DH positional adjustment. The question is are Carter’s defensive numbers bad enough to make up the difference between the 1B and DH positional adjustment numbers?

        Reply
    • davidcoonce74

      9 years ago

      It honestly depends on how terrible his defense is, which it looks to be truly awful.. WAR figures in positional adjustments and DH is obviously the worst position to play. It’s actually some sort of interesting debate because is it really a negative if a team isn’t even asking you to play defense?

      Anyway, his offensive output was a 114 OPS+ last season. That seems reasonable for a DH-only player. Perhaps, like Ortiz or Napoli, he’ll be a slightly better hitter not having to worry about defense anymore. He seems like a good replacement for Napoli, a pretty similar player except better against right-handers than Napoli is.

      Reply
    • Deke

      9 years ago

      Ok cool. Thanks everyone for the information. Really interesting!

      Reply
  28. stroboy15

    9 years ago

    As an Astros fan I’ve watched Chris Carter play quite a bit and was so happy when the stros let him go. Brewers were smart too. 41 homers is cool…. but when you strikeout 206 times you aren’t good. He can’t play defense even at 1B and he never gets on base. Love the guy as a person and all, but its boom or bust with him and frustrating to watch!

    Reply
    • tsolid 2

      9 years ago

      You know he had higher OBP than Gattis the Last two years, right? Is Gattis frustrating to watch?

      Reply
      • reyeneau

        9 years ago

        He can be, yes. But can Carter catch?

        Reply
        • davidcoonce74

          9 years ago

          Can Gattis?

          Reply
  29. harmony55

    9 years ago

    On the strength of 76 walks, Chris Carter this year posted an higher on-base percentage than Khris Davis and Mark Trumbo, two sluggers who joined Carter in the 40-homer club.

    Carter’s on-base percentage of .321 was only six points behind that of Kendrys Morales, who signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Blue Jays.

    Kansas City could be a logical destination.

    Reply
    • jbs32

      9 years ago

      Morales also hit 45 points higher and struck out 86 fewer times while putting up 30 bombs in KC. Not saying Morales is a great signing but he helps move runners when not getting on and is more than bomb or walk.

      Reply
      • harmony55

        9 years ago

        Kendrys Morales also hit into more double plays (20) than Chris Carter (18) in slightly fewer plate appearances.

        Reply
  30. Nola Di Bari 67

    9 years ago

    Very Todd Frazierish offensively.

    Reply
    • Aaron Sapoznik

      9 years ago

      Not really. Todd Frazier’s oWAR trumps (sorry!) Carter’s because he can run and still steal some bases. Frazier does strikeout too often, but not at the historic 33.1% career rate of Carter.

      Frazier’s glove work as an above average defender at 3B also plays huge in his overall WAR advantage.

      Reply
  31. Logjammer D"Baggagecling

    9 years ago

    He’d be a perfect fit for the jankees. Short left field. He’d hit 40 HRs just at jankees stadium..

    Reply
    • Dmalsch22

      9 years ago

      While down the line at Yankee stadium is short, left center is not an easy place to hit homers, goes from 317 or whatever it is to 398-399 pretty quick

      Reply
      • Nick4747

        9 years ago

        Yeah there’s a few places I could think of before Yankee Stadium Toronto or Colorado would be my choices as top places to see him in to benefit his power.

        Reply
      • astrosfan4life

        9 years ago

        Very similar dimensions in Houston and he pretty much sucked it up here too. Seems like a great guy, he’s just one dimensional.

        Reply
        • tsolid 2

          9 years ago

          You mean like Gattis?? Gattis hit 30 points higher and STILL had lower OBP

          Reply
        • Dmalsch22

          9 years ago

          Not really sure why you keep bringing up Gattis????

          Reply
        • davidcoonce74

          9 years ago

          I think it’s because the Astros non-tendered Carter and kept Gattis but there’s really no difference between them, except Carter is a better hitter

          Reply
        • tsolid 2

          9 years ago

          B/c it’s a free country with free speech. Do you have anything to prove me wrong? If not pipe down

          Reply
        • tsolid 2

          9 years ago

          Exactly…. Gattis did add some more value this year catching as many games as he did, but I don’t think the defensive metrics were all that good, other than throwing out runners

          Reply
        • Dmalsch22

          9 years ago

          Carter has more hr power. Gattis can hit doubles triples and homeruns, he was one of the league leaders in triples in 2015. Before you say it’s luck it’s not. It proves that he is a at least decent base runner( Mike Napoli comp) while his defense is also not good, he is considered the backup catcher and outfielder, being a backup catcher proves that he has some defensive ability. Gattis is an all around better player, there’s a reason the astros let him go and kept Gattis and it’s not because of money because they were open to adding more payroll prior to last year, because they’re smarter than you tsolid so pipe down unless you have something worth commenting on and don’t come back with some OBP bulls$@t, it’s not a “tell all” stat

          Reply
        • tsolid 2

          9 years ago

          He goes from 11 triples to 0. Ummm…. YES it was luck. So A guy that hits 30pts higher, Lower OBP w/less Hrs is the better player? Astros might be smarter than I am, but I KNOW I’m smarter than you

          Reply
        • davidcoonce74

          9 years ago

          Getting on base is literally the most important skill to have in baseball. Runners on base is what creates runs. Gattis is cheaper and he can squat behind the plate occasionally, although he’s a terrible catcher. And thos triples in 2015 were pure fluke.

          Reply
        • Dmalsch22

          9 years ago

          11 triples is not luck, it shows that he can read outfielders and knows when to take chances based on the situations. So your saying you would rather have carter than starlin castro just to name one player, Castro hit 50 points higher and had a way LOWER OBP less hrs less RBI, didn’t play very good defense.I guess carter is the better player with your logic

          Reply
        • chesteraarthur

          9 years ago

          if it’s not luck why’d he go from 11 to 0?

          Reply
        • Dmalsch22

          9 years ago

          I never said that some weren’t luck, some were but it does show that even with luck he has some knowledge on the bases and isn’t as bad as carter on the bases, it wasn’t to show that he was some sort of triple hitting machine which everyone knows he’s not. But it shows that just because your slow as hell doesn’t mean that you stop at second on a ball in the gap. I can see that he’s never hit more than 1 triple a season, get got lucky where he hit the ball but most guys like him would just stroll into second but with some base running knowledge he knew that if he was aggressive enough he could get to 3rd on well played balls. The not staying at 2nd and knowing you can get to third is not luck. Before you say any player can do that which they could but they don’t

          Reply
        • Dmalsch22

          9 years ago

          Placed* balls

          Reply
        • Dmalsch22

          9 years ago

          I agree that getting on base is important but what your saying is that you would rather have carter than someone like starlin Castro then, castro pretty much had less of everything other than batting average and he’s a bad second basemen and shortstop but not a single team would want carter over Castro in their lineup and there’s a reason for that

          Reply
        • davidcoonce74

          9 years ago

          Not sure why you’d bring up Castro. He wasn’t released by the Astros so they could keep Gattis. Going from 11 triples to zero is actually the definition of a fluke. I don’t care about RBIs at all.

          But I’ll play along: Castro is slightly more valuable because he can play 2nd and short, albeit not very well. Castro has some baserunning skills. But Castro isn’t much of a hitter. Carter draws walks and hits homers. His skillset tends to age better than that of Castro.

          Gattis’ sole value is in his ability to play catcher – even though he’s no good back there. There is a bit of value in being even a bad catcher. But Gattis doesn’t have any ability to get on base, and the swing-and-miss in his game is as profound as Carter’s.

          Reply
        • jeff51488

          9 years ago

          Stfu

          Reply
        • tsolid 2

          9 years ago

          Thank you Jeff51488! You took the words right out of my mouth

          Reply
  32. notagain27

    9 years ago

    How many of those homeruns over the last two years put the Brewers ahead or tied the game? If he were in the AL and served as a DH, what would his WAR be and what type of salary would he expect to receive based on that WAR?

    Reply
    • davidcoonce74

      9 years ago

      His WAR would be about the same; his terrible defense would disappear but the positional adjustment for being a full-time DH would probably even that out, unless his defense is truly atrocious, which it appears to be. Even a bad firs baseman is more valuable than a full-time DH, until that bad first baseman gets REALLY bad. Carter appears to be there. Carter only really does two things well – draws walks and hits homers – but that’s the skillset of a useful DH.

      Reply
  33. Theresabrewing

    9 years ago

    I think this could be a sign of keeping Ryan Braun. Rumors have been out there for a couple of years now of him moving to first base. It would definitely help with some of his past health concerns. It would also open up another outfield spot for what is becoming a position of depth for the crew.

    Reply
    • davbee

      9 years ago

      The Brewers will not be keeping Ryan Braun. In May he becomes a 10/5 guy, so he would have to approve any trade. The Brewers will deal him this off season while they still have some options.

      Reply
      • Theresabrewing

        9 years ago

        I’m not saying a trade is out of the question, I’m just saying that’s what this move could mean for the future. However, the package the Brewers might receive in return for Braun might not be enough to for them to accept. I think Braun is more valuable to the Brewers by staying more than being traded. The Brewers would have to be blown away by a return, and I’m not too sure that will happen. There’s a lot on the table.

        Reply
      • Blue_Painted_Dreams_LA

        9 years ago

        Well he’s essentially handcuffed the Brewers to two teams with his approved trade list. That being said if they can’t find what they want there’s really no need to trade him. Sure he can drive the boat but that’s what he’s essentially doing right now.

        Reply
  34. Theresabrewing

    9 years ago

    He used play in the infield too.

    Reply
    • Theresabrewing

      9 years ago

      Used to*

      Reply
  35. astros_fan_84

    9 years ago

    Interesting comments. Carter will get a job, but 8M is apparently too much.

    Reply
    • stymeedone

      9 years ago

      And, amazingly, Baltimore offered Trumbo $17MM (dumb) and he turned it down (even dumber) and now has a draft pick tied onto his signing. Good luck with that.

      Reply
  36. HeyBroItsBrad

    9 years ago

    Holds some value as a back end of the line-up guy at dh. Maybe Boston, Texas or the White Sox would fit. He’ll be cheaper than the Trumbo’s of the world, and doesn’t hold significantly less value.

    Reply
  37. matthewalan09

    9 years ago

    Wow gone are the days where HR and RBIs were what you were paid for. Brian Kenny is so happy right now. With that said the guy can mash. And strike out. Someone will take a flier on him as dh and tell him to only focus on hitting. And a new role may help.

    Reply
    • New Law Era

      9 years ago

      White Sox should jump all over this guy. He can be had for much cheaper than some of the other DHs on the market (Holliday, Beltran, etc).

      Reply
  38. Monty725

    9 years ago

    Jays should take him on the cheap and platoon him with Smoak if they don’t resign EE. His D can’t be any worse than EE. I’ll take the 40 bombs and 90-100 RBI. Why don’t guys like this work their asses off to improve their D? Work all winter prima donnas. Take thousands of ground balls and throws.

    Reply
    • 24TheKid

      9 years ago

      Smoak is a switch hitter or he at least was with Seattle, but that platoon could work because I remember smoke being better as a lefty but I could be wrong.

      Reply
      • Monty725

        9 years ago

        He is a switch hitter but this would be an unconventional platoon. I would have Carter play against righties so he gets the bulk of ABs. Smoak against lefties and a late inning defensive replacement. Against lefties Carter becomes an all or nothing bat off the bench. But I sure hope the Jays come up with a better solution at 1B.

        Reply
        • Nick4747

          9 years ago

          The other thing to think about is how big Time power guys have went to Toronto Later in their careers and blossomed Bautista ee he’s got the power if they can work their magic and raise his obp batting average by like 20 points all his other issues mainly defense baserunning could be another great buy low candidate.

          Reply
        • Whyamihere

          9 years ago

          That platoon makes no sense, Smoak is abysmal against lefties and Carter is a RH bat with traditional platoon splits. Your plan involves playing guys against their weaknesses…

          Reply
  39. BigB

    9 years ago

    White Sox don’t need right hand version of Adam Dunn or Adam LaRoche. No thank you.

    Reply
  40. Danthemilwfan

    9 years ago

    I’m disappointed but not a huge shock. His obp was good enough and he played great at 1st. If you are are a brewers fan and want to see competitive ball gonna have to travel to the minors over the next few years. 2020 watch out. We are going to be back but til then garbage on the field besides those few young guys who may or may not be here by 2020

    Reply
    • Theresabrewing

      9 years ago

      You need to watch for realistic goals. They will be good before 2020, but be patient. There is already young talent coming up, and most of the top prospects will arrive by 2018. Even in 2018 they could get a wild card.

      Reply
      • CubsFanFrank

        9 years ago

        The Brewers have spent the past decade as the example of how not to be a successful, small market team. How do you produce Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Ricky Weeks, JJ Hardy, Corey Hart, and Yovanni Gallardo in a 3 year time frame, still have a stacked enough farm system to trade for CC Sabathia and Zack Greinke, and end up with only 1 Division Title and 1 Wild Card when all’s said and done?

        Reply
    • Enon Omus

      9 years ago

      They literally have nothing to lose except profit margin. Payroll will be bottom 5 again this year. And if they trade Braun? Pssht. An offseason without any FA signings would be a failure. They can trade him in July or even if they can’t they won’t be giving up any on-field resources.

      There’s no telling when they get good again. They were only good enough to win 6 playoff games in 2 appearances over the last 33 years.

      I don’t care if Chris Carter plays 1B. I just care that they put MLB players on the field. If Braun’s traded the Brewers should be the pick for 30th place. Probably even if he isn’t. Those SPs haven’t been consistent over multiple seasons and there’s little but A ballers behind them.

      I grew up with this team and have followed them for 20 years, but I think I’m one year away from my emotional attachment dwindling to nothing. I probably watched less than 20 baseball games last year and I don’t know if I watched any Brewers games. Usually it was 50 Brewer games and ~30 others. Every Brewer game had the thrill of spring training and literally couldn’t hold my attention for a half inning.

      Reply
      • Theresabrewing

        9 years ago

        Obviously you haven’t heard about Josh Hader. Only ‘A ball’ players my ass. Do you even realize how good their minors are? Many experts picked the Brewers to lose close 100 games last year, and they exceeded expectations. Since you didn’t watch any Brewers games you probably don’t know how good GM David Stearns has been for this team. Have you heard about Jonathan Villar or Junior Guerra? This is a very young team that is getting better. But, you can sit in a corner and cry that you don’t have a home run to cheer about instead of winning. You don’t deserve an opinion if you don’t even watch.

        Reply
        • Enon Omus

          9 years ago

          thanks for informing me I’m not allowed to have an opinion because I watched from 1998-2015 but didn’t watch 16.

          Reply
        • Theresabrewing

          9 years ago

          I’ve watched since 1997, so I’ve got more experience. Respect your elders, youngling.

          Reply
  41. failedstate

    9 years ago

    A 100 point spread between BA and OBP isn’t bad (although both were low to begin). Some team is going to take a chance $8-$9 mm.

    Reply
  42. CubsFanFrank

    9 years ago

    Hard to believe that Carter’s only 29. This being said, he’s exactly the type of one dimensional player who could head to Japan for a few years, rack up a ton of yen and home runs, and finagle it into a decent big league contract.

    Reply
  43. 888sports

    9 years ago

    Some team is sure to benefit from the Brewers mistake

    Reply
  44. jd396

    9 years ago

    It’s not that he’s worthless, it’s that he’s not worth what he’s going to get in arbitration. If he was DHing as a supplemental player in a more robust lineup he’d look a lot better.

    Reply
  45. beto

    9 years ago

    He should be a Dh, his OPS is pretty good and he would be a better player if he didn’t play in the field. There are a lot of teams looking for cheap power.

    Reply

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