In a somewhat surprising move, Bob Nightengale of USA Today has reported via Twitter that the Milwaukee Brewers have decided to cut ties with power-hitting first baseman, Chris Carter.
After being non-tendered by the Houston Astros last offseason, Carter blasted onto the scene in Milwaukee, hitting a league leading 41 homers. He ended his season with a .222/.321/.499 batting line to go along with 94 RBI.
He has never been one to hit for a high average, with career numbers of .218/.314/.463, but he has become a player known to smash the ball with ease. He enters the market as one of the premier power hitters available.
His high strikeout rates do not help his cause though, as he lead the National League with 206 punch-outs in 2016. He is somewhat of an all-or-nothing type hitter but can come through clutch in the right spot.
Carter, 29, is intriguing in the aspect that he could be the perfect platoon first baseman to go with the left-handed bat of Lucas Duda. Carter would give the Mets another tremendous threat from the right side of the dish, something they could surely use.
Defensively though he is not the greatest, and trending downwards, his glove is not what it once was. He could be more fitting for an American League team in need of a designated hitter at this point of his career.
That being said, with the type of offense he is capable of producing, it is hard not to wonder what he could be had for at this point. MLB Trade Rumors projected Carter to fetch $8.1 million through arbitration this season. If the price is right, he is an interesting player that the Metropolitans may want to take a look at.
