The Mariners Wednesday traded first baseman/designated hitter Mike Carp to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The Mariners designated Carp, 26, for assignment Feb. 12 in order to make room on the 40-man roster for left-handed pitcher Joe Saunders.
Carp appeared in 173 games over four seasons with the Mariners (2009-2012). He combined to bat .255 (139×545) with 28 doubles, 2 triples and 18 home runs. Last year, Carp batted .213 with six doubles, five home runs and 20 RBI in 59 games for the Mariners, but missed 78 of the club’s contests due to three trips to the disabled list. He hurt a shoulder diving for a ball in left field of the Tokyo Dome in the Mariners season opener.
Between 37 minor league rehabilitation games with AAA Tacoma and High-A High Desert, the left-handed hitter combined to bat .250 with nine doubles, three home runs, and 21 RBI. Over his final 25 games of the season in the majors, he hit .293 (22-for-75) with three doubles, a home run, and seven RBI.
In 2011, Carp ranked among AL rookies in batting average (3rd, .276), slugging percentage (2nd, .466), and OPS (2nd, .791), and was named to Baseball America’s MLB All-Rookie Team. That year, he notched 17 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, and 46 RBIs in a career-high 79 games for the Mariners.
Carp produced his most notable game for the Mariners Sept. 20, 2011 when he had a 5-for-5 performance against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in a 5-4 Seattle victory.
The Mariners acquired Carp from the New York Mets in a three-team, 12-player trade Dec. 10, 2008.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="2146630 https://sportspressnw.wpengine.com/?p=2146630">4 Comments
Hope he gets a chance to play regularly. I think he can be a soild player but the M’s have more invested in Smoak, Saunders and Montero for Carp to get into the batting lineup.
Good for Carp. Freed from the Curse of Safeco, he will probably hit .280 with 15+ home runs this year.
In Boston or Pawtucket? Carp had one good half-season in 2011, but couldn’t even crack .230 in Tacoma last year after coming back from injury. I like Carp and hope he does well wherever the Sox put him, but at this point in his career he’s a AAAA player at best unless he’s a late bloomer at 26. Who knows? His ultimate destination may be Japan or South Korea.
If he gets a chance to play regularly he may well be a smart move by Boston.