Inside The Cardinals

Beloved Ex-Cardinals 3-Time All-Star's Career 'Could Be Over' After 14 Seasons

The former St. Louis slugger might soon have to call it quits
Nate Hagerty|
Sep 12, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter (13) celebrates with shortstop Paul DeJong (11) after scoring on a triple by left fielder Tommy Pham (not pictured) during the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Sep 12, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter (13) celebrates with shortstop Paul DeJong (11) after scoring on a triple by left fielder Tommy Pham (not pictured) during the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals don't appear to be interested in re-signing aging veterans who could slightly bolster their roster before heading into an unprecedented 2025 season.

Undoubtedly, the Cardinals could use a little extra help to increase their chances of competing in 2025 but that's not the organization's direction. The plan for this upcoming season is to risk a third straight year of missing the playoffs to allow the club's youth core to lead the way and develop.

That said, a former Cardinals fan favorite in the twilight of his career might soon have to announce retirement if he's unable to find his way onto a big-league roster.

"(Matt) Carpenter looked like he had rediscovered his swing with the (New York) Yankees in 2022 but since then, it's been a struggle," EssentiallySports' Aranya Banerjee wrote Sunday. "In 2024, he hit just four home runs in 59 games while batting .234. His lack of defensive versatility also makes it tough for teams to find a spot for him. If he doesn’t transition into an off-field role, his Major League Baseball playing days could be over."

Carpenter batted .262 with 484 extra-base hits including 155 home runs, 576 RBIs, and .816 OPS throughout 11 seasons played for the Cardinals after being selected by St. Louis in the 2009 draft.

The three-time All-Star was re-signed last offseason when St. Louis hoped that adding several aging veterans, such as Brandon Crawford and Lance Lynn, would help lead the Cardinals back to the playoffs. Sadly, potential future Hall of Fame sluggers Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, as well as the club's youth core, failed to rise to the occasion.

Consequently, the Cardinals cut ties with most acquired veterans from last offseason, forcing Carpenter to re-enter the free-agent market, where he has yet to find a landing spot.

After 14 MLB seasons, during which he played for the Cardinals, New York Yankees and San Diego Padres, Carpenter doesn't offer much to teams looking to boost their roster before Opening Day. Still, he's a 39-year-old Silver Slugger who could land a minimum salary contract if there's a team searching for veteran leadership.

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Nate Hagerty
NATE HAGERTY

Nate Hagerty joined “Inside The Cardinals” as a content creator to spread knowledge about his favorite childhood team. A hometown native of Boston, Hagerty chose at an early age of six years old to follow the St. Louis Cardinals. The miraculous season of 04’ for the Red Sox did not deter Hagerty from rooting against his hometown team, nor did it in 2013 against the Red Birds. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu 

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