One of the best remaining sluggers seems to have attracted the attention of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The club has reportedly checked in on Chris Carter, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
A deal, however, does remain unlikely as the slugger is seeking more playing time than what is believed he would get playing with the Dodgers, Rosenthal notes.
"It’s going to be important for Chris to get significant playing time," Carter’s agent, Dave Stewart, explained to Rosenthal. "He already took a step back last year when he was non-tendered. It looks like he’ll take a step backwards after getting being non-tendered again. We don’t want to get him in a place where he doesn’t get enough at-bats and is doing the same dance next year."
Another factor in play is the luxury tax threshold, as the club is one of the few that went over it and must pay a 50 percent tax on every dollar they spend in free agency as a consequence.
The 30-year-old Carter is coming off a season in which he tied for the National League lead in home runs with 41 and drove in 94 runs. With great power came great strikeout totals, however, as Carter whiffed 206 times - also most in the NL. He's received recent interest from the Tampa Bay Rays and is also considering offers from teams in Japan.