Ex-Cardinals 3x All-Star announces retirement after 14-year career

The St. Louis Cardinals are a franchise that is rich in history and has enjoyed several great players over many different eras and generations.

Fans appreciate and love these players, as they make their mark not only on the franchise, but in the St. Louis community as well. And when they depart or retire, it often feels as though it's the end of an era.

Such was the case on Wednesday morning. Veteran infielder and designated hitter Matt Carpenter returned to St. Louis for the 2024 season after two years away from the team.

On the Sports Spectrum podcast, the 39-year-old announced his retirement from Major League Baseball.

"I was very fortunate enough to play for some great organizations and had quite a thrill being able to don the St. Louis Cardinals logo for many years, a brief stint with the New York Yankees and also the San Diego Padres. I can thank a lot of people, and I will," Carpenter said.

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Carpenter spent the vast majority of his career in St. Louis, making his Major League debut in 2011 and winning a World Series ring. He was an All-Star in 2013, 2014 and 2016 and helped St. Louis win four National League Central titles and a pennant.

The 39-year-old spent time with the Yankees in 2022 and helped guide them to the American League Championship Series and joined the Padres in 2023 before coming back to St. Louis.

Carpenter retires with a .259/.366/.449 slash line, 179 career home runs, 659 RBI, a 28.7 WAR and an .814 OPS. He had many memorable moments in a Cardinals uniform, especially in the postseason.

A signature moment was his go-ahead double against Clayton Kershaw in Game 1 of the 2014 NLDS after the Cardinals had trailed that game 6-1.

In a few years, Carpenter will be eligible for the Cardinals Hall of Fame, and he will likely eventually be enshrined.

More MLB: Cardinals legend announces retirement after 14 MLB seasons