Looking Back At The Career Of Chris Carter

Selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 15th round in the 2005 draft, Carter was a highly-touted prospect in the minor leagues. 

Two years later, he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Carlos Quentin, only to be traded again to the Oakland A’s eleven days later in a massive trade package.

The Diamondbacks sent Carter, Brett Anderson, Aaron Cunningham, Dana Eveland, Carlos González and Greg Smith to Oakland for Dan Haren and Connor Robertson. Carter made his major league debut with Oakland in 2010, and his debut season was rough. He slashed .186/.256/.329 in 78 plate appearances, with 3 home runs and 7 RBIs. He would go on to spend two more seasons in Oakland. During this time, he established himself as a strong power hitter, hitting 16 home runs in 2012. 

On February 4, 2013, he was traded to the Houston Astros with Brad Peacock and Max Stassi for Jed Lowrie and Fernando Rodriguez Jr. In Houston, Carter became an everyday player, and his power numbers skyrocketed. He hit 29 home runs in his first full season with the team, and followed that up with 37 home runs in 2014. 

However, he struck out…a lot. In 2013, Chris Carter led MLB in strikeouts with 212. During his time with the Astros, Carter maintained a strikeout percentage of 33.7%. His inconsistency at the plate led to him being released by the Astros after the 2015 season.

He would eventually sign as a free agent with the Milwaukee Brewers on a one-year deal, where he was a force to be reckoned with at the plate. With the Brewers, Carter continued to be a power threat, hitting a league-leading 41 home runs. He slashed .222/.321/.499 in 644 plate appearances and a league-leading 160 games. Carter also led the league that year in strikeouts, with 206.

The following offseason, the New York Yankees signed Carter to a one-year deal worth $3.5 million. Unfortunately, Carter struggled at the plate, slashing .201/.284/.370 in 208 plate appearances with only 8 home runs and 26 RBIs. He struck out 76 times. New York released Carter before the All-Star break.

He would spend time playing minor-league ball with the A’s, Los Angeles Angels, and Minnesota Twins, before retiring at the age of 32 in 2018. A powerful and feared hitter in his prime, Carter also had a career was marked by inconsistency. Despite his struggles, he put up impressive numbers throughout his career, hitting 158 home runs and 400 runs batted in. 

He may not be remembered as one of the best of all time, but it's safe to say that his time in Milwaukee was a memorable one.