Matt Carpenter, a former Silver Slugger and three-time All-Star, has retired from Major League Baseball. Carpenter made the announcement on Wednesday as a podcast guest of former teammate Scott Linebrink:
Carpenter, 39, played 59 games for the Cardinals last season but was not signed on the free-agent market this past winter. Originally drafted by the Cardinals as a 13th-rounder out of TCU in 2009, Carpenter went on to play parts of 14 MLB seasons, 12 of which came with the Cardinals.
Over those 14 seasons, the lefty batsman slashed .259/.366/.449 (122 OPS+) with 1,257 hits; 774 walks; 329 doubles; 179 home runs; and a career WAR of 28.7. Those offensive outputs – including an MLB-leading 55 doubles in 2013 – along with his capacity to man multiple defensive positions made Carpenter one of the steadiest players of the 2010s. Carpenter also retires with six career postseason home runs to his credit and a series-turning double against Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers in the 2014 NLDS:
Later in his career, Carpenter enjoyed a partial renaissance season with the Yankees in 2022 and then played for the Padres in 2023 before his concluding season back with the Cardinals the following year.
While Carpenter does not merit serious consideration for the Baseball Hall of Fame, he is almost certain one day to be elected to the Cardinals Hall of Fame. His 26.7 WAR as a Cardinal ranks 22nd all-time among position players in franchise history.