Atlanta Braves Morning Chop: This Site is NOT Called TomahawkTank!
Jun 26, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos (40) and relief pitcher David Carpenter (48) high five as the walk across the outfield before a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Nationals won 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta to bring back reliever David Carpenter
Eleven-plus months ago, on January 1, the Braves traded David Carpenter to the Yankees. Lefty Chasen Shreve also went to New York in exchange for young left-handed starter Manny Banuelos.
Carpenter didn’t work out in New York, but that didn’t deter the Braves from signing him. Atlanta will give Carpenter a chance to get his old job back, as they are signing the free agent reliever. It is a minor league deal with an invitation to major league spring training as a non-roster player.
Carpenter was originally selected off waivers from the Red Sox by Atlanta in November, 2012. He spent the 2013 season in the Atlanta bullpen and was outstanding, pitching in 56 games and registering a 1.78 ERA. He allowed just 45 hits in 65.2 innings, with 20 walks and 74 strikeouts.
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[ Editor’s note: This signing (which as of this writing does not yet appear on the official Braves transactions page) is a low-/no-risk move for Atlanta, as there’s not even a 40-man roster slot involved at this point.
David Carpenter peaked in that 2013 season noted above, and doubled his Atlanta ERA in 2014. He wasn’t very good at all as a Yankee, though – especially on the road (6.57 ERA for both Washington and New York; 4.82 for NY alone.
However, he was much better once getting back into the National League, yet the Nationals (1.50 ERA) did not retain him. He’s still got a 95 mph fastball, so his troubles in 2015 had nothing to do with velocity or injury, it seems – perhaps just the surroundings. Hopefully a return to something more familiar will give him a rebound.
So let’s bring back Carp… and the other David Carpenter… and then trade for Cardinals 3B Matt Carpenter. You can never have enough Carpenters around, as I see it.
Oh, and for those keeping score: that trade for Manny Banuelos is now down to just Chasen Shreve alone… though he’s been pretty good for the Yankees. ]
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