MLB trade grades: Braves plan for Matt Carpenter makes move even more confusing

The Atlanta Braves agreed to take on the majority of Matt Carpenter's remaining contract from the San Diego Padres via trade. In return, San Diego also included relief pitcher Ray Kerr, who had a 4.33 ERA over 20 appearances last season out of the Padres bullpen.

It's a moderate trade, and one that likely won't move the needle much when all is said and done. So far this offseason, despite being interested in the likes of pitchers with ace potential -- say an Aaron Nola, Sonny Gray or Dylan Cease -- Alex Anthopoulos has made a living off the bargain bin.

San Diego bet hard that Matt Carpenter's rebound was reality in 2023, signing him to a contract which guaranteed him $12 million, plus included an opt out for 2024. Carpenter will earn $5.5 million this season, though it likely will not be with Atlanta.

As Anthopoulos has done several times this offseason -- specifically with Marco Gonzales and Max Stassi -- the Braves are expected to flip Carpenter in a separate trade.

"To reiterate, the Braves are expected to flip Carpenter to another team, sooner rather than later. Like they did with the bad contracts they took on in deal for Kelenic," David O'Brien reported on X.

MLB trade grades: Braves get a B+ for creativity

It's been a winding road of trades lately for the Atlanta Braves. While adding David Fletcher, Jarred Kelenic, Aaron Bummer and now Ray Kerr are all decent additions, the Braves have yet to deal with the elephant in the room. For that, and that reason alone, I would give this trade a B+.

Atlanta clearly sees something in Kerr, who has yet to really make much of an impact at the big-league level. The Braves have resurrected some truly terrible relief pitchers over the years. When Pierce Johnson struggled in Colorado, Atlanta took a chance on him.

Carpenter was one of the worst hitters in baseball last season. While some time with Atlanta hitting coach Kevin Seltzer would do Carp some good, odds are he'll be dealt again in the coming days. Still, it's another confusing move that doesn't seem to address the Braves need for starting pitching. Per usual, Anthopoulos probably knows something I don't.

As for San Diego, the Padres are selling off assets as quickly as possible. The Pads have been delt a bad hand, especially with owner Peter Seidler's passing. It's unclear where they go from here, or if the fire sale will continue beyond just Carpenter.