The San Diego Padres have made another key acquisition this off-season, signing utility player Matt Carpenter to a one-year, $12 million contract with a player option for 2024. According to MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the deal could be worth up to $21 million if Carpenter exercises his player option and reaches his performance incentives.
Carpenter, 37, is coming off a career-best season with the New York Yankees, where he hit .305 with 15 home runs in 47 games, finishing with an impressive 217 wRC+ and 2.3 fWAR. The three-time all-star has played in 1,376 career MLB games, spending the first 11 seasons of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Padres have been busy this off-season, adding players like Seth Lugo and Xander Bogaerts as they look to build on their NLCS finish from last season. Carpenter will provide valuable versatility and veteran leadership to a Padres team that is looking to make a deep playoff run in the coming year.
