ATLANTA -- First baseman Matt Carpenter was released Monday by the Atlanta Braves, who acquired him last week from San Diego.
The decision costs the Braves in effect $4 million.
Atlanta obtained Carpenter along with left-hander Ray Kerr from the Padres on Friday for outfielder Drew Campbell. As part of the trade, the Padres agreed to pay the Braves $1.5 million. That covers part of Carpenter's $5.5 million salary for next season.
A three-time All-Star with St. Louis, the 38-year-old Carpenter revived his career with the New York Yankees in 2022 when he took advantage of the right-field short porch and hit .