The Diamondbacks have dealt outfielder Carlos Quentin for first baseman Chris Carter - not the first baseman Chris Carter who's a 25-year-old minor league vet in the Red Sox system who a lot of Pirate fans used to like, but a 20-year-old White Sox farmhand who's a lot more interesting. This Chris Carter hit 25 homers in the Sally League last year, while drawing 67 walks, hitting .291 and posting a .906 OPS. He's not a great defensive first baseman, and he strikes out too much, although he improved a little bit in that area in 2007.
Quentin, for those who don't know, was highly regarded coming through the Diamondbacks system and hit well in his major-league debut in 2006, but he battled hamstring problems in 2007, played badly at the major-league level, then had shoulder surgery in October. He should miss Spring Training, at least, and he's already 25. This trade looks good for the Diamondbacks, who are trading from strength here - they've already got Justin Upton, Chris Young and (unfortunately) Eric Byrnes set as their outfield for the next few years. They also have a pretty nifty minor league outfielder in Carlos Gonzalez. They don't really have the playing time for Quentin to pull himself together, so getting a good prospect at a different position for Quentin helps them a bunch. It's too early to write off Quentin, though, and the White Sox could still win this deal.