SAN DIEGO — At times, the Padres were a little too right in 2022.
Perhaps the left-handed-hitting Matt Carpenter can bring balance.
The 37-year-old veteran and the Padres have agreed to a deal for 2023, which will guarantee him at least $12 million and include a player option for 2024 according to The Athletic.
The breakdown: A $3 million signing bonus, a $3.5 million salary in 2023, a $5.5 million player option for 2024 (Carpenter will also receive $500,000 for collecting 300 plate appearances both years, with an additional $500,000 for every 50 plate appearances after 300).
The long-time Cardinal signed a minor league deal with the Rangers after last year's lockout only to be released after posting a .613 OPS in 21 games at Triple-A Round Rock. Carpenter caught on with the Yankees in late May and hit .305/.412/.727 with 15 homers and 37 RBIs in 47 games until suffering a broken bone on a foul ball off his left foot, ending his regular season in early August.
Carpenter did return for the playoffs but went 1 for 12 while appearing in six games (two starts).
A three-time All-Star, Carpenter hit .262/.368/.449 over parts of 11 seasons in St. Louis. He led the majors with 55 doubles in 2013, led the NL in walks in 2014 and hit as many as 36 homers in a season in 2018. His best years appeared well behind him when he hit .176/.313/.291 with seven homers over 180 games between the 2020 and 2021 seasons, but he breathed new life into his career by becoming the first Yankee to hit six or more homers in his first 10 games with the team and breaking the franchise record with 13 blasts in his first 30 games.
With the Padres, Carpenter figures to rotate in at designated hitter, first base, third base and both corner spots in the outfield.
While Padres President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller said at the Winter Meetings the team had remained interested in their departing free agents — Josh Bell (now with Cleveland), Brandon Drury and Wil Myers — there is some thinking in the organization that minor league journeyman Brandon Dixon could get a look as the right-handed half of the bench platoon.
The 30-year-old Dixon paired 23 homers with an .823 slugging percentage in just 51 games in the high minors before earning a spot on the Padres' wild-card roster in October. Dixon did not play in that series and did not appear on any other postseason rosters, but played both corners on the infield and outfield last year in the minors, is already on the 40-man and would present a cheaper flier for a team that is trending toward crossing the second luxury tax threshold at $254 million.
