Former Cardinals Two-Time All-Star Carlos Martinez Retires

A quiet end to a turbulent major league career

Jun 24, 2021; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez (18) pitches during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Carlos Martinez had some excellent seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, but his Major League Baseball career was derailed earlier than most would have expected.

Martinez was one of the Cardinals' best starting pitchers of the late 2010s, making the National League All-Star team in 2015 and 2017 and posting a career-high 5.7 bWAR in 2016. He posted a 62-52 major league record and struck out 929 batters.

However, after dreadful 2020 and 2021 seasons, Martinez couldn't find a major league job upon leaving the Cardinals as a free agent. Then, off-field issues prevented him from having the chance to earn a career resurgence.

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Carlos Martinez announces retirement

On Saturday, Martinez took to Instagram to announce his retirement from the sport of baseball. He had last pitched in the Mexican Pacific Winter League last season, and hasn't appeared in a game in the majors since 2021.

"I just want to say thanks to God for giving me a life in baseball," Martinez wrote in the caption, as translated from Spanish by Cardinals on SI. "My family, relatives, and friends know I gave everything for them. So do the Dominican Republic and everyone in my hometown of Puerto Plata, including El Avispero, who know me better than anyone.

"Today, I say goodbye to this sport, but I'll never say goodbye to your hearts. Thank you for supporting me so much ... Right now I'm crying because it hurts so much. I love you all. Thank you to everyone who follows me and even to those who hate me without knowing me. God bless you."

After he was released by the Boston Red Sox in May of 2022, Martinez was suspended by Major League Baseball for 80 games for a positive performance-enhancing drug test. Later in the same season, he was suspended 85 more games for violating the league's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. He never signed with another major league organization.

Martinez's legacy in professional baseball is clearly a complicated one, and Cardinals fans will likely have differing opinions on his career for many years to come.