9:10pm: Jon Heyman reports (via Twitter) that Carter can earn an additional $500K based on plate appearances, meaning his contract will max out at $3MM in 2016. That’s a lower baseline than the $4.175MM upon which his projected 2016 raise was based, meaning that even if Carter struggles similarly in terms of batting average this coming season, his projected price tag should come in south of this winter’s $5.6MM. And, if he does end up with a projection that sizable, it’ll likely be due to markedly increased performance, in which case the Brewers probably wouldn’t mind the salary bump.
6:32pm: The Brewers announced on Wednesday that they have signed slugging first baseman Chris Carter to a one-year contract. He’ll reportedly earn $2.5MM with the chance to add to that salary via performance incentives. Carter’s contract also contains incentives that can boost the value of his deal. The agreement will reunite the Sports Management Partners client with GM David Stearns, who served as assistant GM in the Astros’ front office before being named general manager in Milwaukee.
“We are pleased to be able to add Chris to our organization,” said Stearns in a press release announcing the move. “Over the past three seasons, Chris has proven to be one of the most consistent power threats in the game. We believe that his skills and experiences will complement our team well and provide additional production to our lineup.”
Carter, 29, has spent the past three seasons in Houston, batting a combined .218/.312/.459 with 90 home runs while spending the majority of his time at first base and designated hitter. However, a .199/.307/.427 batting line, 32.8 percent strikeout rate, projected $5.6MM salary (via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz) and the presence of rising prospects A.J. Reed and Tyler White led Houston to non-tender the slugger back on Dec. 2.
Presumably, Carter will become the Brewers’ primary first baseman, as the team has traded away incumbent first basemen Adam Lind and Jason Rogers over the past few weeks. While defense isn’t Carter’s strong point (-8 UZR/150, -14 DRS in 2064 career innings) and his strikeouts do yield a low batting average, Carter is one of baseball’s most powerful hitters. Over the past three seasons, his 90 home runs rank eighth in the Majors, and his .241 isolated power mark places him 11th among qualified batters. Of course, Carter’s 33.7 percent strikeout rate in that time also is the highest in all of baseball.
Carter was eligible for arbitration for the second time as a Super Two player this offseason at the time of his non-tender, meaning the Brewers will be able to control him for up to three seasons if he remains productive enough to justify the raises he’ll receive via the arbitration process.
Kristie Rieken of the Associated Press first reported the agreement and Carter’s guarantee (Twitter link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Wish CC luck in Mil. Hope he can get the bat on the ball just a little bit more.
CC Sabathia managed to hit .229 in MIL. This CC might struggle to reach that.
that’s funny
Love this move, he’s going to be great facing NL pitching.
Do you really think that AL pitching is that superior to NL pitching?
Parks factor into this, way more pitcher friendly parks in the NL. Also have a useless #9 hitter who posts an OBP of .150.
So do you really think he’ll KO less facing NL pitching? I don’t….he’s still gonna be a sub .230 hitter that will hit 25hrs
He’ll hit more than 25 easy if he plays full time playing in the hitter friendly parks in the NL Central especially with half his games at Miller Park.
My prediction is 40 bombs and the first ever 300 strikeout season from a hitter!
Zero chance 300ks
maybe
If he’s locked in enough to hit 40 HRs, he won’t hit 300 Ks. Conversely, if he is bad enough to strike out 300 times, he won’t come close to 40 HRs.
As a Brewers fan I really like this move. Yeah, he’s gonna strikeout a lot but I feel that he’s gonna hit some MAJOR bombs for us, which is something our lineup desperately needs. Looking very forward to seeing what he’s got
I was really was hoping the Padres would sign him. Would have added instant power to a largely powerless team.
Agree the Padres and the Orioles could have used him the most.
Alvarez makes more sense for the O’s IMO. Like Carter as a fit for the Brewers though.
You’ve got a point there. I agree that Alvarez is a better fit for the O’s.
alvarez is a little cheaper and younger
As an Astros fan, I am sorry to see him leave, even though the Astros non-tendered him. He’s got fantastic power – when he hits the ball it jumps off his bat and it goes a long long way. Plenty of power – has 40+ HR potential. Just needs to figure out a way to consistently put the bat on the ball. Very streaky, so if he can figure out how to do what he does well during those streaks for a full season, watch out. Defensively he was ok at 1st base, although he did manage to make some wild throws during the playoffs. Overall I think a very good team-mate and a good person. Brewers are lucky to get him.
He was horrible defensively. His knack for putting a run on the board anytime he came to the plate was the only reason he played.
Really? Another player who we rely on the long ball…? There’s nothing wrong with playing small ball. Manufacturing runs. Play solid defense. Tired of players who hit home runs or nothing. I hope Mark, isn’t a carbon copy of Doug Melvin.
Relax. It’s a one year deal. If he performs well before the trade deadline he’ll get flipped for prospects. He’s a stopgap. Nothing else
It’s a one-year deal, but the Brewers now have the right to control him through 2018 via arbitration, so there’s a definite chance that he’s in Milwaukee beyond 2016.
Good point. Didn’t think about that. Considering there’s no 1B in the immediate future he might be the “veteran” to provide the leadership when the prospects come up.
That sounds like a way of saying that their future is so bleak and/or the FO is so inept that they’ll just keep him.
Nope. No immediate help at 1B and nothing even at the AA a level. From what I’ve read Carter is also a good clubhouse guy. Hence the leadership.
There is no such thing as a BAD one-year deal
Unless your name is Corey Hart.
Flipped for prospects? I love that you made that plural. He’s a DH. He’s more likely to be DFA’d, but if you can refresh my memory of trades at any time of the year for someone like him that netted anyone who had a chance to play in the majors, I’m all ears.
Last years Kaminsky for Brandon Moss trade? Low average big power guy (who wasn’t even hitting for power) for a decent pitching prospect. Best I can come up with. Of course Moss can also play some corner OF.
Curt Schilling, Pete Harnisch, and Steve Finley for Glen Davis maybe? Terrible defensive 1B with some pop. He at least hit in the .250 range though.
Did you even read my original statement? I said “if he performs well”. Miller Park is a hitter friendly park and Carter hit 37 in ’14. If he hits 20 by the trade deadline, he’ll get flipped for prospects And I didn’t say MLB ready prospects. It’s all about building up the farm system at this point, a system that is slowly on the rise.
Yeah, chill. It’s not like they are building around him. He’s just a temp piece. Who else is out there that plays “Small Ball”? Low risk HIGH Reward sign.
The risk is that you have guys like Cecchini or Walsh who should get at bats but don’t because the GM mysteriously decides that a poor defender and hitter should play instead.
What’s the HIGH reward? It isn’t flipping him for prospects.
Cecchini will get every opportunity to be the everyday third baseman.
What has Cecchini or Walsh done to prove they should get ABs? Cecchini was terrible last year and has consistently fallen in the prospect rankings. He’ll get his chance to show what he can do at 3B as will Villar and Middlebrooks. Walsh A. – has never hit enough to play 1B, B. – has never played 1B. and C.- Is generously listed at 6’0″. Not exactly your ideal candidate, he’s more of a platoon fill in type.. Wilkins on the other had deserves at least a look. at 1B with Clark maybe seeing a chance too.
Maybe, you should become Pirates fan. They prefer OBP over power.
Being that my hope for this season is a tasteful blend of catastrophic entertainment and shrewd prospecting, I couldn’t be happier with this signing.
That sounds similar to a lot of the expectations of Padres fans this season too.
Only they don’t sign hitters like Chris Carter, they sign pitchers like Buddy Bauman instead.
This seems like the perfect franchise for Carter. The Brewers have historically loved homers and not really worried about strikeouts. Rob Deer, Jeromy Burnitz, Geoff Jenkins, Jose Valentin. The Brewers history is just littered with guys like Carter. It should be a great fit.
Didn’t Mark Reynolds play with them for a bit too?
Yes….did fairly well for a part time player
price fielder!
Nice try Owen, but Prince is a career .287 hitter who has never struck out more than 138 times in a year. Fail.
You forgot Richie Sexson
How bout Banana Ben Oglivie!
Remember Jose Hernandez?
Another player who we will have to rely on the long ball. There’s nothing wrong with playing small ball. Manufacturing runs and play solid defense. I’m tired of players who hit home runs or nothing.
I think you already stated this above. Was there someone else in particular you were hoping would play first base for the Brewers in 2016?
How about Cecchini or Walsh or Perez? I could add more guys who have a shot at hitting better and would defend better. Where’s Matt Clark? He’s obviously superior. Carter was DFA’d not long ago and nobody wanted him.
Cecchini hit .213/.286/.296 in 117 games at Triple A last season. Walsh put up great numbers at Double A last season, but he never played first base in the minors. I doubt Milwaukee picked him up to play there. Perez is a utility infielder, and his bat doesn’t have any business starting at first base. Matt Clark is obviously superior? What’s he done to prove this, have a decent season at Triple A as a 28 year old? I’m not a big Carter fan myself, but for a rebuilding team you could a lot worse. I would have liked to see them hold on to Rogers myself.
Yes, a perfect destination for CC. Just stick him at first base and let him play. Love to see 600 PA’s, 40 HR’s, even 300 K’s. He will keep Bernie the Brewer in shape.
Would have rather seen the Brewers sign Pedro Alvarez over Chris Carter due to his younger age
they were born a month and a half apart
*Comment of the week*
We have a first baseman! I hope Bernie is ready for double C.
He sounds like aright-handed Pedro Alvarez. No glove, low average, big power. His fanning (pitches and ground balls) will help cool stadiums around the N.L. all summer long.
Wish he hit lefty, but not a bad pickup. Seems like Stearns is trying to recreate the Astros
It makes sense, considering he worked for the Astros.
Was sad when he left Oakland. I knew he would be a power threat but didn’t get consistent playing time. He hit major bombs in Oakland and that is not a homer happy park. He crushed homers in Houston. I hope he does well in brew town.
I like the move for the Brewers. The power part of his game… well, that’s really the only part of his game isn’t it? Anyway, he will give the fans something to get excited about during what should certainly be pretty lean times in Milwaukee..
I’m an Astros fan and I hope Carter does well. He was always soft spoken and even keeled, and I think that rubbed people the wrong way when he went through he’s slumps (historically awful slumps I should add).. Carter has the potential to be a great baseball player, I hope he puts it together in Milwaukee. If he had more contact reminiscent of the second half of 2014 he would be an All Star. I think the Astros and Astros fans lost their patience with him. Goodluck CC.
And the market for Pedro Alvarez continues to shrink…
the angels could buy low on him, they need a lefty bat but they need a left fielder
Good sign for the Brewers. He was non tendered because he wasn’t worth 5.6 mil. He is worth 1 – 3 which is what they got. Nice move by the Astros as they saved the money that was given to Sipp. Already have 2 mil invested in Singelton and it is time he sank or swam. If is sinks AJ Reed and/or Tyler White will put up similar numbers for a fraction of the cost.
Hopefully this means the Brewers will trade Khris Davis now. They sure don’t need two guys in the lineup who can’t field their positions, swing for the fences every at bat, and hit in the low .200’s. One is more than enough.
This is the type of bat the angels should of went after, maybe they should look at Pedro Alvarez
Bob Uecker will have flashbacks of his Pedro Cerrano calls