2:00pm: The Padres have officially announced the signing.
12:52pm: The Padres added some punch to their lineup Tuesday, reportedly agreeing to a two-year, $12MM contract with veteran infielder/outfielder Matt Carpenter. Carpenter, a client of SSG Baseball, can opt out of the contract after the 2023 season by declining a 2024 player option. The contract pays Carpenter a $3MM signing bonus and $3.5MM salary for the 2023 campaign, and he’ll have to decide on a $5.5MM player option next winter. He can also reportedly earn $500K bonuses for reaching each of 300, 350, 400, 450, 500 and 550 plate appearances in both seasons of the contract.
Carpenter, who turned 37 years old last month, enjoyed one of the more remarkable rebound campaigns in recent memory this past season. A three-time All-Star with the Cardinals, Carpenter looked to be on the downswing when he posted a combined .176/.313/.291 batting line in 418 plate appearances with St. Louis from 2020-21.
Last offseason, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic detailed the manner in which Carpenter reinvented himself, taking a data-driven approach to hitting and enlisting feedback from the likes of Joey Votto, Matt Holliday and a private hitting coach as he revamped his swing and his entire approach at the plate. The Rangers were intrigued enough to sign him to a minor league contract.
We often see stories of veterans making changes late in their careers, but few have found the level of success enjoyed by Carpenter. After hitting .275/.379/.613 in 21 games with the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate, Carpenter was released by Texas (oops) and signed a Major League deal with the Yankees, for whom he posted a borderline comical .305/.412/.727 slash. Carpenter mashed 15 home runs in just 154 plate appearances, and while he was surely aided to an extent by the dimensions of Yankee Stadium, he still popped six of those round-trippers and batted .253/.333/.506 on the road.
Simply put — and in rather stunning fashion — Carpenter was baseball’s best hitter on a rate basis in 2022 (min. 100 plate appearances). He led all of baseball in slugging percentage, isolated power (slugging minus batting average) and wRC+ (217), ranked second to only Aaron Judge in terms of on-base percentage, and posted the 12th-best batting average of any player in the game. Carpenter’s rate of “barreled” balls (as defined by Statcast) was elite, and his average exit velocity and hard-hit rate both clocked in comfortably north of the league average. There’s no realistic way to expect him to sustain that pace, but Carpenter has clearly put himself back on the map as a viable big league slugger.
Unfortunately for both team and player, the revitalized Carpenter fouled a ball into his foot in early August, resulting in a fracture that wiped out the remainder of his regular season. A predictably rusty Carpenter jumped directly back onto the Yankees’ playoff roster but went just 1-for-12 with an alarming nine strikeouts between the ALDS and the ALCS.
With the Padres, Carpenter becomes the favorite for DH work, though the Yankees played him at both corner infield slots and in both corner outfield positions in 2022. He’s also logged more than 1900 innings at second base in his career, though defensive metrics on his limited work there in 2021 were unsightly, to say the least. Still, he could potentially serve as an option there in an emergency.
The agreement with Carpenter pushes the Padres to more than $246MM in actual cash payroll for the 2023 season and bumps their luxury-tax ledger to nearly $267MM, as projected by Roster Resource. The Padres are already well into the second tier of penalization and, given that they’re entering their third straight season over the luxury line, are being taxed at a 62% rate on every dollar in the second bracket ($253MM to $273MM). As such, Carpenter will cost them an additional $3.72MM in taxes for the 2023 campaign.
AJ Cassavell of MLB.com first reported the two sides had agreed to a deal with a 2024 player option. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the terms and financial details (Twitter links).
1 year wonder gets overpaid… let me guess 2/30 with 15 each
One year wonder? He’s a 3-time all star.
He obviously has never had some of Carpenters famous salsa.
Where are the Padres printing money? I’d like to get in on it…
A multi-billion dollar owner who has said, “I can’t take money with me when I’m dead. ” Love that about Seidler.
It’s a cross country effort between the Mets, Yanks, Dodgers & Pads. It makes living in a blue state enticing…
The halves, the halve nots and the Red Sox ownership group which has money but seems to want to spend it recently on other interests.
Being a two-time cancer survivor I’m sure Peter Seidler has an unusual, death in-your-face perspective on that. If it inspires him to mobilize some of his billions to put together an exciting product on the field than I’m all for it, particularly since I can enjoy watching the combination of superstars hit critical mass, where the combination is more than the sum of the parts and they produce phenomenal offensive results. Or alternatively there could be an ego supernova with a resultant spectacular crash and burn. Both are entertaining, and sky-high payrolls increase their probability.
The Red Sox off-season FA strategy looks like that of a staggeringly drunk piñata player, where the player has some kind of Freudian love-hate relationship with the piñata.
I wish the worst owner in the history of sports, John Fisher of the A’s, felt even one percent this way
Ed – I think it’s also a matter of the owner saying “No World Series Championship in this franchise’s 54-year history, it’s time to end the drought right now”.
Much like the owners of the Cubs and Red Sox did during the past 20 years.
Green Mountain Gringo? Stop & Shop carries it
I meant of late, he hasn’t had success. The all star selections were rather long ago.
He just had success last season. I think you mean that 19-21 gap
I mean, I mean cough cough you know what I mean
Next Pads signing; the kitchen sink…
Tough as nails player. Always admired him as being a tough out. Solid pick up for the Padres. Sorry, DeGrom, but I have to disagree. Good, veteran presence to add
He was better in 21 with Boston than what the stats suggest. Throw out a couple of appearances especially one against Florida when it was dangerous to be in the field yet the umps had orders not to call the game. I’d take him as a solid complimentary reliever who can step up if injuries to others warrants.
Matt Carpenter is a reliever now?
that would make a splash
You should take something for that cough!
I wanted Jeff Albert’s head because of Matt Carpenter? Happy it worked out for Carp
Don’t feed the trolls.
OPS+ every year of his career minus the 19 PA in 11:
12: 125
13: 140
14: 112
15: 135
16: 136
17: 120
18: 143
19: 92
20: 79
21: 63
22: 217
Not sure how you define a one year wonder, but this sure ain’t it.
Huuuuueeezzzzus 217 ops+ wow
2 years?
If he doesn’t work out they let him go. Yes 2 years.
It’s a player opt-out not a team opt-out. If he doesn’t work out they are stuck with him.
Yeah I understand. Cut him and pay him if need be. Case closed. So they eat a mil or 3 maybe? So what?? Last I checked SD was hardly destitute.
If you sign with the Padres, you get your way in the contract
It’s not an “OPT-OUT”. It’s a 1 yr w a “PLAYER OPTION”. A true opt-out is when the player can get out of a contract partway through it. A 4-yr deal in which the player can OPT-OUT after the 2nd year is TRULY an opt-out. In this case, Carpenter will either “EXERCISE” or “DECLINE” his option of a 2nd year. Either way it’s an OPTION YEAR but it’s NOT an OPT-OUT. Ok. Now my rant is over.
Ryan is that you?
“Either way it’s an OPTION YEAR but it’s NOT an OPT-OUT. Ok.”
i hate to say this but you realize opt means option so he is optioning out of the rest of the contract whether its a year decade or 5 mins its still opting out….. ie opt-out.
Yes, I do realize that it’s pretty much semantics. I’m just frustrated on the over usage of the term opt-out when referring to the last year of a contract.
a Player option is pretty much the same as an opt out.in this situation.
As I stated, it’s pretty much semantics. It’s his option to play a 2nd year. Either accepting or declining an OPTION YEAR is “technically” one thing. OPTING OUT of a 3 yr contract after 1 yr or OPTING OUT of a 5 yr deal after 3 yrs is different. Therefore,only the 2nd example is truly an OPT-OUT.
OPTING OUT of a 3 yr contract after 1 yr or OPTING OUT of a 5 yr deal after 3 yrs is different.
Ok .. ill bite .. how is it different?
*grabs popcorn*
@Prospectnvstr Go argue semantics elsewhere.
No they aren’t. For that kind of chump change if he doesn’t work out they just cut him and eat the contract.
Preller is easily extorted.
2 years might not be bad if they are low cost, like $4M or less per year. This a gamble though. Actually, the player option is probably much lower than the first year to lower the AAV for luxury tax purposes.
Padres 25 man roster just hit 63.
As of about a week ago, the 40 man roster only stood at 36. So they actually have some wiggle room.
You should take a look at the Padres bench on roster resource right now. Not exactly an inspiring group, so it makes sense they’re adding depth.
*Mets
I don’t get why this meme is attached to the Padres at this point. It seems like if you wanted to criticize Preller it would make more sense to point out how far under the 40-man limit they have been for weeks because the upper levels of their farm system are so barren.
At this point it is surprising they even have 30 players on the 40-man roster because outside of their ML contracts they only have like two prospects that need to be on the 40-man and are worth protecting.
He played like 45 games last year.
At Yankee Stadium…a move to Petco may not work out for him.
The padres actually do have a short porch in right field where he was hitting all those home runs. You are right though the marine layer may hurt his production. With no shift he may do better on grounders/line drives because he was an extreme pull lefty.
He is about as dead pull hitter as you can get. https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/matt-carpenter-572761?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb
I would think that no more SS in shallow RF in the shift would help him a heap.
*may not
Correction *likely will not
Yankee Stadium giveth and taketh. Helps lefty pull hitters with HRs if they get the ball up in the air and down the line, but they still have to hit the ball with authority. It sure didn’t help Joey Gallo! The short right field also takes away hits and greatly reduces doubles. Balls in the air that don’t go out and might be hits at other parks often go for outs at Yankee Stadium, which overall plays close to neutral, something that seemingly surprises many fans. If Carpernter hits the ball as he did last year, he’ll be a great asset. Was it a dead-cat bounce though? He absolutely made changes and the underlying data says the performance was real.
Padres only need him for 20… Tatis covers the rest
2 year 75 mill
@cba93 Oh—so he signed with the Mets?
Thanks for a fun couple months.
Also hope he keeps his stache.
Hoping he goes back to the beard. That ‘stache was 1970s blue movie worthy. You can’t say the word P
@Pads, yes, it was 1970s blue movie worthy, hence why he should keep it!
Yeah I’m thinking someone very close to him needs to sit him down, look him directly in the eyes, and say “every hit was because of the stache.” Keep that sh$t Matthew.
If he can hit for a 217 OPS+ he can keep the ‘stache and wear his jock on the outside of jersey.
You need a Carpenter to build a strong bench.
Nailed it.
Screw that
You guys are a bunch of tools…
Gwynning is Winning!
Preller got a woody
Maybe Arson Judge and Coke Hamels might like to test that new bench Carpenter made just for them. They don’t have to worry about Arson Judge, though, because he should be on the San Francisco Giants, right?
If they lock him in at a low $ deal, could be a heckuva move.
As a diehard Cards fan, it sure would have been nice to see him make the turnaround here ♂️
I thought he might return to the Cards.
I agree. They say they are looking for a left handed bat off the bench and they pass on Carpenter when Matt Holliday who helped him fix his swing is now the bench coach in St Louis? Plus, he will hit for a higher average without the second baseman playing shallow right field with the new shift rule. Mo missed out on this one. 6 mil a year on a short contract? He must be bitter at the Cards but the fans would have loved to see him back where he belongs.
If you were Mo, would you really take this gamble a second time? If Carpenter regressed to his 19-21 form the criticism would never end. I don’t blame Mo for steering clear of this one. Best of luck to Carp though.
What is with Preller and player options?
You’d think AJ would learn. If you give a player a one year opt out and he has a decent year, he’s gone (see Jurickson Profar). If he sucks, he stays (see Eric Hosmer).
It is a way to give more money, but lower the AAV since it is split over 2 years instead of 1.
That’s exactly what NYM did with Taijuan Walker. The player option is “guaranteed” money to the player so it allows you to keep the AAV down. The player then opts out and basically converts it to a 1 year deal. So instead of it counting as $10M against the tax, NYM was able to pay Walker $10M and the lux tax hit was only $7M in 2022 off the AAV.
Might be something like that going on here.
Yup. Risk trade off.
Carpenter wants 1/10 or 2/14 w/ an opt out.
You give him the 2/14 and you only pay the tax on 7MM rate. On the downside he sucks and you pay him for 2. But that’s your risk trade off.
Rather just give him the 1/$10m
I think the fact that it give the player more of a cushion allows Preller to sign them for a little less in the first year. My guess is that Carp’s agent was looking for $8m-$10m on a one-year deal and more like $20m guaranteed on a 2/yr deal.
The player gets more guaranteed money with the option than if he signed a 1-year contract, but less money in year one. The team gets the player they want at a lower rate for year 1, but takes on the risk of year two. Preller is a gambler and he’s adding future risk to buy more team this year. Every agent knows this, so when they have a player that falls into this situation (high upside, high downside), they give Preller a call. I’m shocked that Conforto isn’t a Padre yet.
Petco is different than Yankee Stadium, hitting wise….plus no “Judge balls” being tested in SD for optimum flight
Don’t be Salty on Judge
Huh? No one is being salty. There’s proof that different baseballs were used in Yankee games. Not a knock on Judge. Not his fault.
Yes but then there is the “no shift” for factoring in to his benefit as an offset.
The Petco porch isn’t all that different than Yankee Stadium if it’s pulled down the line.
Petco Porch is pretty shallow
Yup that’s the Crone Zone!
At least he can grow a beard now.
Looks way better with the moustache. NY was good to him in more than one way.
Definitely not. That pornstar stache went out in the 70s.
Von – the pornstache has made a full comeback
It’s a bad look, but I think Carp might be the only one who pulls it off.
21 m for this corpse lmaaooooo
Preller is so bad wow
1. San Diego gives out generous deals to the free agents they sign.
2. Matt Carpenter has pretty much infinite upside but a very real possibility of no value or ultimately worthless value by breaking down part way into the season.
3. Carpenter produced 2.4 WAR in 47 games in 2022, but his body had clearly broken down again toward the end of the season, so it ultimately was not a sustainable performance.
4. If he was paid according to what top free agents get paid per WAR, he could earn as much as 1 year/$17M. That’s obviously not going to happen.
5. Therefore, I feel like it should be a generous base salary with modest PA appearance incentives or however that’s calculated.
He “paced” for a 8.3 WAR season, but couldn’t stay healthy. I think it’s fair to pay him according to that reality.
I am gonna guess 1 year/$8M base salary w/ achievable incentives that can add $8M to the salary, w/ a $4M buyout on an $8M base salary player option w/ similar incentives attached.
Up to 2 years/$32M in value, with a minimum of 1 year/$12M in value and potentially 2 years/$16M if he triggers the player option but doesn’t reach any of the incentives over the 2 years of the total deal.
His body didn’t “break down” so much as fouling a ball off his foot resulting in said foot breaking. I do agree that Carpenter’s numbers are probably skewed by the short sample size and not sustainable and we’ll obviously never know how his stat line would have looked in late September. However if he can find a happy medium between last seasons Matt Carpenter and say, 2018 Matt Carpenter and the Padres will be happy
Yeah but by ‘break down’ I mean an injury he couldn’t quite shake, a type of injury that could impact his performance long term going forward.
I get the sense that he was done for the year after his injury, despite forcing himself to try to come back, and that it will impact him down the line and that he’s had a few physical issues that have changed his value and career trajectory and that his sample sized hot streak with the Yankees is his raw quality as a player, but his body’s overall wear and tear means that any value he provides over a short-ish period of time will not be sustainable no matter what and something will break down any given season with him-
If you look at his last few years with the Cards, he was clearly playing with some serious physical set backs or injuries that were not being given the time to properly heal- and then his first full come back season where he’s productive and valuable again gets cut short by an injury you could argue was a freak accident, but could’ve also been an injury that may not have been as severe if his body was healthier overall leading up to that injury.
So he’s probably a guy with amazing baseball talent but his body has broken down and some kind of injury or wear and tear will hold him back or shut him down in any given season going forward- a matter of “when” and not “if”.
I don’t know how anyone could “shake” a bone fracture. Carpenter, like Benny, was hoping for a quicker recovery period. That would be an exception, not the norm, if they were well enough to come back for the playoffs. Your rhetoric doesn’t support your rebuttal to @RSox.
I don’t think anyone expects the same results from Carpenter which is why fans don’t have him high on their wish list. It would’ve been even more fun if he hadn’t broken his foot.
11 years, $350 million.
It’s a win-now move but that contract will be an albatross in his age-47 season
IF the Yankees have some sort of sign stealing system or really good pattern recognition software, here’s your exhibit A.
Happy for Matt. Really good ball player who had a rough few years. Can happen to anyone. Hope ge figured it out. Problem is that ball park. I am.hoping Drury comes to arizona. You can see what happen when he went to the padres. Same for Frazier. Hard to hit there. Even Soto struggled. It’s a process to figure put.
Soto had back issues last season.
Yeah I’m sure it wasn’t the park completely. but it doesn’t help
Realistically, if he can even go something like .250/.325/25/80, this is a steal..He basically slides right into Drury’s role from last year..and while I hoped Drury would be back, there’s solid upside with Carp. Nice move by AJ.
Padres found their DH who is capable at backing up Cronenworth at 1B and logging some OF time. I hope they realize that that less than 50 game sample with the Yankees is not likely what they are getting though
Goldilocks
The Dodgers paid $10m for JD Martinez
The Padres paid $12m for Matt Carpenter
I’m a Padres fan and this is embarrassing.
AJ Preller is a freaking idiot.
Marked difference between the two deals. Carpenter’s is two years. If he reaches full incentives, it’ll be well worth it. He also has defensive versatility which JDM has none of. If he craters, Padres can cut him after the season.
Carpenter can play a position. Martinez cannot.
And why do you care about the money?
What position can he play? Dude can barely walk
Exactly. All these dudes acting like this is 2018 or something. Carpenter is clearly a small sample size wonder. Before his time with the Yankees he was hitting like .150 over four seasons. It’s ridiculous that anyone would even consider him for a team with WS aspirations over a 162 game haul.
As a Cardinal fan, I love Matt Carpenter – a professional hitter! Defensively, Carpenter can play 1B. That’s it. The metrics say he can play 3B, but just watch him throw from third and you’ll cringe like we did.
As far as the outfield, Matt Carpenter is an “outfielder” in the same way that putting a glove in a shrub makes the shrub a “catcher.”
$12 mil for 2 years. Up to $21 mil if he meets incentives. Get the full info prior to griping. He can opt out if he wants. So not a big deal
If he plays well enough to opt out looking for another contract at 38, the Padres FO and owners will be seen doing cartwheels across the OF at Petco.
They’re actually paying 19 m for Carpenter cuz of the tax lol
Padres paid $12 million for 2 years.
Dodgers paid $10 million for 1 year.
I am actually a Padres fan and you trying to say you are a Padres fan is embarrassing.
1 Year of JD Martinez will do more for a team than 2 years of Matt Carpenter.
Maybe those are terms that Preller nutswingers can understand???
Carpenter is dead money right from the word go. I’m sorry that isn’t a signing you make if you have intentions of winning a World Series.
There are certainly lower tier signings a team needs to fill out the roster, but this isn’t one of them. Paying luxury tax dollars to sign Matt Carpenter after 150ab in 6 weeks of the prior season is utterly stupid.
The Padres handling of everything outside of spending on Bogaerts this offseason has been pretty pathetic. They had clear needs at 1B, LF and DH. What have they done to address that?
How about filling out the rotation? The answer there is just to pray that Seth Lugo doesn’t have an arm or a leg come loose and somehow manages to pitch 100 innings? Like seriously what kind of plan is that? He is going to become a starter at age 33 even though he has never done it before? Resigning Clevinger, going after Syndergaard or Cueto seems reasonable, but instead you’re going to convert a 33 year old reliever with UCL & ACL issues into a starter. Bold Move…..
The Cardinals dropped the ball on this one.
I was actually pretty close. 1 year with 12 million guaranteed and up to 21 mil over 2 years with incentives
I want to see these incentives. You usually don’t see the ability to double your contract.
No, you weren’t.
It’s $12m/2y and you said $30m for 2 years. You were off by 2.5 times.
No more Goldilocks balls for Matt.
That’s a lot of money for a guy who had a nice 1.5 months at 36 after years of looking horrid.
$6 million a year is not a big deal these days
Did mlb expand rosters from 26 to 36?
Padres 40 man was about 32 after the season ended
With this signing its at 37. 38 when Tatis returns.
Carpenter was fun to watch last year bashing both left and right-handed pitchers – and just a great story – so I’m glad my Padres signed him. If he doesn’t work out there will be lots of options available for DH/1B to fall back on I’m sure. Really cool signing. Carpenter is another high character type of player…just like Bogaerts and Lugo.
Preller signing all of the players now. It’s almost like he’s playing fantasy baseball, like he did in 2015.
Machado, Soto, Tatis and Bogaerts is much different than Kemp, Upton, Myers Middlebrook and Norris
Obviously, but he’s paying 10x more than that 2015 team.
And they are 10 times better and who cares how much they are paying? Its their money and Seidler is making a crap ton. Tuesday night games were sold out last year.
Sure, but that adds up after awhile. This isn’t monopoly money, and the owner might be rich, but he’s not Cohen rich. The Padres are gonna have to win in a year or 2 before some very talented players leave via free agency. And remember, the farm was basically depleted in the Soto trade.
Padres are signing the #1 international player next month. There was a viral tweet today they are favorites for #2 international player in the 2024 signing period. You are underestimating Preller’s actual strength scouting/signing talent (he may be poor at a lot of things but not that)
Preller’s strength seems to be identifying young talent, but the Padres don’t develop them well. Who was the last farm system player they developed that was drafted or signed that was worth anything? It’s why the team has very few cheap young players, so they have to rely on free agency and trades.
Gore, Abrams, Woods, Santana…got the Soto. Preller uses his draft capital in trades. That’s his thing. Why does it matter to you if he develops them for the ML team or uses them as trade bait?
Do you not understand the logic of team control? the Padres only have two more Octobers with Soto before he’s a free agent compared to however many years those players have in team control. I’m not saying the Soto trade was bad, but it does add up after time if you can’t develop cheap talent.
Ty France, Cal Quantril, Josh Naylor, Andres Munoz,, Zack Eflin to name a few, they were all in the majors within a year of being traded. They have drafted a lot of good players they just trade them before they actually play for them.
Yeah I get it, but if you resign Soto, what does it matter? Seidler said we will be competetive each and every year. He doesn’t mind spending money. Yes, eventually they will back off a bit. Manny may opt out. Soto may sign elsewhere. The plan is to win now and not worry about 5 year from now.
@dvmin98 Bro the whole point of having top prospects is to use them on YOUR team. To convert them into major league contributors on YOUR team. Name literally 1 WS winner in the last 10 years that wasn’t loaded with homegrown talent.
@dvmin98 You are only trading for the amount of control Soto came with. Signing him is a separate transaction that they could have made without trading for him first.
It matters because teams must, let me repeat, MUST have cheap, young controllable talent to have a sustainable contender. And when your group has been together since Rookie ball it helps a ton with team chemistry. This will never show up on any stat sheet, and the boo hooers will never give it any credit, but it’s a very real thing.
Unbelievable that you would be OK with a team you claim to be a fan of not being able to develop talent in-house.
The farm was depleted to field that team in 2015. Only took a couple of years to fill it back up.
That jumbo jet sized whooshing sound is the point going over your head.
He doesn’t have to develop them, just find and sign them. Then trade them for proven talent. Rinse and repeat.
In 2 more Octobers Preller will have more prospect capital to trade for the next proven talent.
You only have to keep cheap players if your goal is obscene profits. If your goal is winning, you do what Seidler has enabled Preller to do.
Listen to Seidler. This is not a short term plan.
He is a know it all. You are a know nothing. He is a “Dick Burns” according to you. The the rest of us you are just a bleep.
Have you noticed that no one ever likes your comments? Take a hint.
Please seek help Padres2019ha
Outinleftfield basically just admitted to being Pads Fans again.
Imagine if you will, thinking comment likes mean anything.
Harambe, how many accounts have you had? Straight question.
Ryambre I know you saw this notification. You gonna answer?
Actually no. The whole point of having top prospects is to use on your team or use them as trade bait to make your team better. The Padres are a better team with Soto than without Soto, don’t you agree? Is Soto better than Gore and Abrams? Those are the two that are in the big leagues.
Omg! That is a leading question and would take far more time than I have here to answer.
In this day and age, EVERY WS winner has a solid homegrown core. Every single one. Always. 100% of the time. Without fail.
Who gives af how you acquire talent? Why are you this combative ALL THE TIME? You must not have been hugged as a child. Seek help. MUTED
Everyone gives af how you acquire talent. Well… except you apparently
And busting out the ad hominems is the last resort of people who KNOW they are losing an argument. So is it reasonable to assume that you admit that you were wrong then?
Lastly, what is with the MUTED thing? It’s just cringy. Don’t tell people you’re muting them whether you actually are or not.
He signed 1 player out of the MLBTR top 50, but go off.
Regrets, they’ll have a few…
Padres just seriously spent $20m (including taxes) to have Matt Carpenter sometimes DH.
Are they spending above the Cohen Line?
How does $6m become $20m with taxes?
Because Carpenter can exercise another $6m next year. That’s $12m plus the tax.
$6 mil aav + incentives isn’t a lot…
$6 million a year with taxes. Twins just gave Gallo $11 for one year and he can’t make contact.
That’s not really entirely accurate. They’re paying $6M in salary in 2023 and then $3.72M in lux tax on top of that.
The buyout hasn’t been reported, but at least how it worked under the old CBA was the player option years are guaranteed if the buyout is less than 50% of the base. So hypothetically, he probably has a buyout of around $2-3M and the Padres are likely really paying a total of like ~$12M, not $20M.
There was a $3 million signing bonus and no buyout on the player option
If they spend $20 million Carpenter will have done a far bit more than “sometimes DH”. He has to have 550 PA both seasons for the Padres to spend that including the tax
If he is a “sometimes DH” he is not getting anywhere close to 550 PA per season and he will make $12 million for 2 years. Likely getting paid for playing elsewhere in 2024.
As a Rangers fan, I still laughed hard at the (oops) part of the story. Funny Stuff!
Not sure why people are surprised:
“… in rather stunning fashion — Carpenter was baseball’s best hitter on a rate basis in 2022 (min. 100 plate appearances). …Carpenter has clearly put himself back on the map as a viable big league slugger.”
$12MM for that seems low in this free-for-all off-season.
Take care of him guys….dudes gonna rake!!!!!!!!
Green Yankee
I think your auto-correct switched inadvertently to put “rake” instead of “break”
Man, Im gonna miss seeing Carp in pinstripes. Hopefully he can continue to play at a high level. With the switch from Yankee stadium to Petco his power numbers will probably drop but with no shift next year that will benefit him tremendously.
Thank God he didn’t resign with the Yankees. He can now have a beard and stop looking like a child molestor with that mustache!!
If I had a ‘stashe like that I would get a windowless van and stencil the words “FREE CANDY” on it, and find the route to the ballpark that had the most schools on the way…
This guy will get 100 AB’s tops with the Padres and then they will have to pay him for 24 months anyway.
It looks alot like the Ian Kinsler deal. That ended well……….
100? LMAO. Muted
On strat-o-matic paper, Padres are a World Champion, but this is not usually the case.
I think that remarkable rebound in 2022 was a small sample anomaly. But, at $6M a year, it’s low-risk for SD. If he reverts to a pumpkin, this deal is not going to hamstring them. And if Carpenter has found something, then it’s a bargain.
Just need 200-250 ABs from him..he has $$ incentives for 300 350 etc.. PAs
Hmmmm….eye of the beholder – maybe his only two bad years (20-21, 340 ABs) was the anomaly?
Eye of the beholder indeed. And actually it’s 1 subpar year prior to the 2 bad ones. So, I’d think that 910 PAs, with an 82 OPS+ in his age 33, 34 and 35 seasons would have more weight than the 154 PAs in his age 36 season.
So 2022 would appear to be the anomaly. How realistic is it to think that at age 37 it will be a continuation of that small sample performance he had in NY?
Maybe he will. Admittedly I don’t know, but it would not be a deal I would be happy with if my team made it.
Not really for me to judge his prospects for 2023, though the Padres seem to think that the adjustments he made last year brought him back towards his prior excellence rather than his 20-21 funk. A gamble with upside for sure. When he’s on he’s quite the OBP guy.
You might ne right. It’s not a terrible signing but I’m glad the Giants didn’t sign him. But if he is able to continue that excellent stint in NY it could pay off big for the Pads.
A stipulation of this contract is he has to keep the clean-shaven with a mustache look.
I accept as long as he rakes.
But only if he maintains a 217 OPS+. If he dips 5 or more points below that he has to let the beard grow in until he gets back over 217
You know you are doing something right when so many others despise what you’re doing. Keep up the hate, we’ve never been hated before.
Your email may apply to the Bogaerts signing, but I think people are sincere in both directions as to what will happen with Carpenter.
Now that the financials are released it isn’t that bad of a deal for the Padres. If they end up paying him all the incentives it most likely will be because he was worth it and is hitting.
Do they have like a 35 man roster? Seems like to many players on one team!
Roids are bad, mkay?
Who cares about the financials of the deal. I just wanna know if he’s keeping that pornstache.
Padres motto: sign everyone and see what sticks
This might be one of the most reasonable contracts of this offseason
$12 M for a 37 year-old that hit well in 68 games last year after doing nothing for three seasons. Horrible signing.
he was also the spark plug that got the Yankees rolling before the last few bad years he had he was hitting 20+ home runs great signing but haters say it’s bad lmao
AGAIN, 37 years old. Three straight bad seasons, then hit well in 68 games, 21 of those in the minors. Less than half a season after three bad years.
If they signed him for one year at about $3 M, THAT would be a good signing. Two years and $12 M guaranteed? That’s a BAD signing.
2 bad seasons, 2020 and 2021. 2019 was about league average. After 8 seasons of 130 OPS+ hitting
You should really read the article about the swing changes he made.
Because 68 games, less than half a season, and about a third of those games in AAA, PROVES that he’s going to continue hitting like that. Again, it’s not signing him that makes it a bad deal. It’s two years and $12 M guaranteed that makes it a bad deal.
I like the move, it means there will be no reunion with Hosmer. I was worried there for a bit…
Padres sign Domingo Ayala…
overpay
Do you know how to say anything else?
If you’ve never sat in Yankee Stadium, you truly can’t appreciate the closeness of the wall in the right field gap. It’s a joke. It was as striking to me as the Fenway wall, which isn’t a mile high for no reason.
It’s as big a joke, the other way, as the Comerica Park left field walls were when that place opened.
If you’ve never sat in Petco Park on a marine-layer or chilly night, then you can’t appreciate how the ball dies in flight. Not sure how the overall math works out, but the eye doesn’t lie.
There isn’t a chance in the world that Matt Carpenter in San Diego comes within 300 or maybe even 400 points of his “comical” OPS numbers with the Yankees. If his output isn’t akin to Eric Hosmer’s (if somehow he remains healthy as he nears 40), then I’ll gladly own the L.
While your eye is saying that that the difference between Petco and Yankee Stadium is 300 to 400 OPS, vast and actual data beg to differ.
That’s fine. Obp around .330 to .350 and slg around .420 to .430 is fine
DH has been a glaring hole for the Padres since 2020.
They just need a guy who can play it full time and give them a good obp.
Martinez and Turner are off the market so Carpenter was one of the better options left.
From the left side Yankee Stadium is a 119 park factor for HR and 97 overall. Petco Park is a 96 for HR and 94 overall. Petco swallows HRs on those nights with a marine layer, but overall LHB hit about the same.
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/statcast-park-factors?type=year&year=2022&batSide=L&stat=index_wOBA&condition=All&rolling=&sort=3&sortDir=desc
The difference in OPS for LHB is 40 points.
Very sad to see him go, wish him all the success in the world. Type of guy you like to root for…
I’m honestly just glad we didn’t sign Joey Gallo this off season.
Tigers are desperate. Two years with a bonus. He’s been in decline for 4 years and 37. Yankee stadium treated his left handed swing well. He wmost likely just replaced Schoop wirh a higher obp, who is only 30 btw
Lol, I read Tigers. Why padres?
I’ll find it much easier to root for Carp now
I’ll find it much easier to root for Carp now.
I would have liked him as the Jays bench bat, I think he would have been good for everyone but Biggio especially
Before fouling that pitch off his foot and breaking it, he was having a season for the ages. When you look at his swing changes, its astounding.
Since Padres are only counting on him starting for about 3 weeks until Tatis returns, this is a really good signing at just $3 million. Not sure if I would be as excited if i thought he was going to have to hold down a position all season.
This sign makes me feel much better about DH/1B/LF/UT, even post-4/20. Carp won’t come close to repeating that OPS(+) but he does barrel balls, sees the ball well and…
/finger point/
“Pete?!”
“He gets on base.”
He gets on base. Something that Hos and Bell struggled with, unfortunately. He lengthens the line-up and gives more players some day-off opportunities. He may only trigger the 300 PAs bonus, but even that many will suggest he’s contributing well. Hopefully he’s got more of that bottled lightning in his pocket, but this is still a solid roster maneuver for a savvy vet.
Happy Holidays PF
Was the protagonist in a beautiful short story that played out in summer of 2022. Wish him the best.
This says volumes about how the Padres felt about Wil Meyers, Brandon Drury, Jurickson Profar and even Josh Bell too.
Meyers and Profar might be asking too much too.
I think he’s a better roster fit than Drury in the sense that he can play OF and hits lefty.
You’re probably right about Profar asking for too much though. Lot of big deals this offseason and he’s one of the best position players remaining so he’s probably holding out for more than he’s worth.
Profar is asking for 4 years and $10 million plus AAV according to rumors we have seen on here. WAY too much in my opinion.
Well on the bright side, pads fans can’t complain that their owner won’t spend money! I love it I’m a braves fan but have always kept up with the padres since the Jake peavey days
Nearly 200 comments for a Matt Carpenter, low dollar signing. We are a baseball hungry group.
He doesn’t have a snowball’s shot in Yuma in August of hitting like he did last season, but if the Padres can get .250/.340/.420 out of him for 200-300 AB they will be on the winning side of this deal.
Good luck to him. Oh, and Matt, keep the pornstar mustache.
Damn. Was hoping the jays would sign him. Would have been a nice lhb to plug into the lineup against righthanders.
But is he a good framer?
He’s a drywall guy, dudes a magician with seems and outlets!
Let’s be honest…and I know there’s been talk already, it was a $1mill contract for Carpenter and $11mill for the mustache! LFG Matty Mustache!
As a Cardinal fan, I love Matt Carpenter – a professional hitter! Defensively, Carpenter can play 1B. That’s it. The metrics say he can play 3B, but just watch him throw from third and you’ll cringe like we did.
As far as the outfield, Matt Carpenter is an “outfielder” in the same way that putting a glove in a shrub makes the shrub a “catcher.”
I’ll be curious to see how he does. He benefited from hitting in Yankee Stadium last year. But he might also benefit from hitting at Petco with no shift. Going to be another fun season I think.