Atlanta Braves expected to trade newly acquired Matt Carpenter

Matt Carpenter’s stay in Atlanta isn’t expected to last long.

The Braves acquired the former Yankee and three-time All-Star from the Padres on Friday, but he is expected to be traded again before playing for the defending NL East champions, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.

Atlanta took on $4 million of Carpenter’s $5.5 million salary for 2023 in order to obtain lefty reliever Ray Kerr in the deal.

Carpenter, 38, had a resurgent year for the Yankees in 2022, with 15 home runs in 128 at-bats after he’d been released by the Rangers.

That production earned Carpenter a two-year deal worth $12 million with San Diego last offseason, but he batted just .176 with five homers and a .641 OPS in 76 games for the Padres in 2023.

Earlier this offseason, the Braves also acquired and then flipped pitcher Marco Gonzales to the Pirates and catcher Max Stassi to the White Sox with cash considerations in both deals.

Carpenter, a longtime St. Louis Cardinal, is entering is 14th year in the big leagues in 2024.

A career .260 hitter, Carpenter has logged 1,452 career Major League games with 175 homers and 644 RBIs.

Carpenter played for the pennant-winning Cardinals in 2013 and received MVP votes in three separate seasons during his tenure in St. Louis.