FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Chris Carpenter and the rest of his Chicago Cubs teammates knew that, one day, one or more would be told that they were heading to the Red Sox as compensation for Theo Epstein.
"We all knew something was going to happen," said Carpenter on his first full day of camp with the Red Sox. "It was kind one of those things where it was like, 'What if it was you?' You try not to think about it all the time.
"We tried not to talk about it. It was one of those things we knew was coming. We didn't want to take away from getting our work done and worrying about that."
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SIGN UP HERE Tuesday morning at the Cubs spring home in Mesa, Az., Carpenter was called into an office by GM Jed Hoyer and told that he, indeed, would be heading to the Red Sox.
Carpenter, a former third-round pick out of Kent State in 2008, has pitched in just 10 games in the big leagues. But after four months of back-and-forth negotiations, he was determined to be the return for the Cubs' new president of baseball operations.
"It's something you don't really think about," said Carpenter. "But it's kind of cool. It was a little bit of a shock. But I'm excited to be here and ready to get to work."
Carpenter described himself as a "power arm reliever," accustomed to pitching in the late innings.
If there's been an issue with Carpenter, it's been command. In 9 23 innings last season with the Cubs, he walked seven hitters. In the minors, he averaged 4.2 walks per nine innings.
But Carpenter maintains that that problem is behind him.
"After I (went) to the bullpen," he said, "it was one of those things where it took me a little bit of time to adjust to the reliever role. Looking back at last year, I think what really hurt me was my first couple of months and then I kind of adjusted to the role in the last couple of months of the season and felt a little more comfortable."
His 10-game introduction to the big leagues was "a great experience. I had a great time up there. I learned a lot from a couple of veteran guys and they took me under their wing."
Carpenter, of course, shares a full name -- Christopher John Carpenter -- with the "other" Chris Carpenter, a New Hampshire native and Cy Young Award winner with the St. Louis Cardinals.
"I've heared (the jokes) a lot," he said. "I tell everyone that hopefully one day I'll be half as good as that guy because he can really pitch."
He figures to be part of a crowded field battling for a few available spots and hasn't had time to assess how he might fit in.
"It's been pretty hectic the last couple of days," he said. "It's kind of nice to today to just come in and have a normal day of work. It's nice to to settle down."