3 bold San Diego Padres predictions for July

3) Padres DH Matt Carpenter will be wearing another uniform by the end of July

The Padres signed Matt Carpenter to a two-year deal worth $12 million. The deal includes a player option for the 2024 season worth $5.5 million. It's safe to say that the deal has not gone the way A.J. Preller had hoped.

Carpenter was almost out of baseball before inking a deal to join the Yankees. He took off in the 47 games he played there, smacking 15 home runs and posting an OPS of 1.138. He hasn't been close to the same hitter as a Padre,

Carpenter is slashing .182/.311/.331 with four home runs and 26 RBI. He has a .634 OPS and that only appears to be going more downhill.

Last season, Carpenter did a ton of damage in just 47 games and 154 plate appearances. This season, he's played in 58 games already and has 181 plate appearances ... yet he has done nothing close to replicating his numbers from the Yankees days. Nobody expected him to be among the best hitters in the game, but Carpenter wasn't supposed to be a guy with an OPS+ of 82 either.

Carpenter had acted as the primary DH against right-handed pitching, but has lost that spot to Rougned Odor. With the Padres lineup being as inconsistent as it has been, it wouldn't be shocking to see them upgrade that DH spot as Padres DHs rank 25th in the league with an 88 WRC+.

San Diego certainly won't find a taker for Carpenter's contract so, if they do choose to upgrade the DH spot, it's hard to see him lasting with this team past the deadline.