Veteran infielder Matt Carpenter has officially retired from professional baseball. He made the announcement during an appearance on the Get In The Game podcast, hosted by former MLB pitcher Scott Linebrink, as first reported by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
“I wanted to use this moment on the podcast to officially announce my retirement,” Carpenter said. “I was lucky to play for some great teams, and it was an incredible experience wearing the St. Louis Cardinals uniform for so many years, along with brief stints with the Yankees and Padres.” He also expressed gratitude to his family and shared his excitement about what lies ahead.
Now 39, Carpenter had left the door open for a possible return in 2025 as recently as last fall, after a season with St. Louis in which he dealt with injuries and recorded a 95 wRC+ across 157 plate appearances. Despite a 32.5% strikeout rate, his offensive output was still seen as serviceable in a reserve role. However, with the Cardinals prioritizing younger players moving forward, a return didn’t materialize.
A 13th-round pick by the Cardinals in the 2009 MLB Draft, Carpenter spent 12 of his 14 big league seasons with St. Louis. He debuted in 2011 before breaking out in 2012, hitting .294/.365/.463 over 114 games while playing multiple positions including first, second, and third base, as well as both corner outfield spots. That performance earned him a sixth-place finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting, despite hitting just six home runs in 340 plate appearances.
