ATLANTA — First baseman Matt Carpenter was released Monday by the Atlanta Braves, who acquired him last week from San Diego.
The decision costs the Braves in effect $4 million.
Atlanta obtained Carpenter along with left-hander Ray Kerr from the Padres on Friday for outfielder Drew Campbell. As part of the trade, the Padres agreed to pay the Braves $1.5 million. That covers part of Carpenter’s $5.5 million salary for next season.
A three-time All-Star with St. Louis, the 38-year-old Carpenter revived his career with the New York Yankees in 2022 when he took advantage of the right-field short porch and hit .305 with 15 homers and 37 RBI. He played for the Yankees from May 26 to Aug. 8, when he broke his left foot with a foul ball. He returned for the postseason and went 1 for 12 with nine strikeouts.
Carpenter signed a $12 million, two-year contract with the Padres that included a $5.5 million player option for 2024. He hit .176 with five homers and 31 RBI, but had just 50 at-bats from July 1 on. Carpenter didn’t play after Sept. 10 because of right elbow inflammation.
Carpenter was an All-Star in 2013, ’14 and ’16. He has .260 career average with 175 homers and 644 RBI for the Cardinals (2011-21), Yankees and Padres.