Matt Carpenter Trade: Braves acquire veteran hitter from the Padres

On Friday, the Braves announced they had acquired Matt Carpenter, Ray Kerr, and cash considerations from the Padres in exchange for Drew Campbell. This is now Carpenter's third team in the last three years.

Carpenter is coming off a season where he appeared in 76 games with San Diego. During that time, he hit .176/.322/.319 with five home runs and 31 RBIs. While it was not a season to remember, he still has juice left in the tank.

The Texas Christian University product's career is starting to wind down. He is not the same player he was years ago when he was one of the most feared hitters in the league.

Matt Carpenter started to experience struggles after fracturing his foot during the 2022 season. He fouled a pitch off his foot, had a lengthy recovery, and has been trying to return to form at the plate.

With Matt Carpenter, Marco Gonzalez, and Jared Kelenic, the Braves have been making sneaky good moves

While they have not made any earth-shattering moves like the Dodgers have recently, the Braves have been working the market. They acquired Jared Kelenic, Marco Gonzalez, and Evan White, alongside adding Matt Carpenter on Friday.

Kelenic will be looking to prove himself next season. He missed some time when he frustratingly kicked a water cooler, fracturing his foot. It was an embarrassing moment, and he learned from it.

Atlanta does not have to make too many moves this offseason. Their core group is returning, and they should be a top team in the league again. Before the Dodgers made their moves, they were the favorite to win the 2024 World Series.

It will be interesting to see if Atlanta has the talent to take down the Dodgers.