Former Cardinals, Yankees star Matt Carpenter retires after 14 MLB seasons

Matt Carpenter is calling it a career after 14 seasons in the big leagues.

Carpenter, a three-time All-Star who spent 12 seasons with the Cardinals, announced his retirement on Sports Spectrum’s “Get in the Game” podcast with former teammate Scott Linebrink.

The infielder went unsigned this offseason.

“I was very fortunate to play for some great organizations and had quite a thrill being able to don the St. Louis Cardinals logo for many years,” Carpenter said. “A brief stint with the New York Yankees and also the San Diego Padres. I could thank a lot of people and I will, but I think I’ve got to start with my family.

“My wife, Mackenzie. Anyone who’s played professional baseball knows it takes a really strong woman at home to get through what that life looks like and she was the rock in our household that was able for me to go out and play the game I love for so long. … And then, obviously, my parents.”

Carpenter finishes a two-time Silver Slugger who led the National League in hits in 2013 while hitting .318 and scoring 126 runs.

He was a key contributor to that Cardinals team, which won the National League pennant before losing to the Boston Red Sox in the Fall Classic.

Carpenter left the Cardinals after a nightmare 2021 season that saw him hit .176 and signed with the Texas Rangers that offseason, but did not make the team out of camp.

When he opted out of his contract with the Rangers, Carpenter signed with the Yankees in May 2022 and went on a wild heater as his MLB career was rejuvenated.

The lefty-hitting Carpenter hit .305 with 15 home runs, 37 RBIs, and a 1.138 OPS, the best in all of baseball with a minimum of 150 plate appearances.

He produced a phenomenal 2.4 WAR in just 47 games, his best mark since 2018.

The mustache-rocking sensation set a Yankee record as the first player to hit six home runs in his first 10 games with the team.

A foot fracture prevented him from producing even further before he returned for the playoffs, where he went 1-for-12 spanning the ALDS and ALCS.

Carpenter translated his Yankees success into a one-year deal with the Padres, but he hit just .176 with a .641 OPS spanning 76 games.

He spent his final season in 2024 with the Cardinals, hitting .234 with a .686 OPS.

For his career, Carpenter slashed .259/.366/.449/.814 with 179 homers in 1,511 games.

“I’m excited for what’s next and getting to spend some much-needed quality time with my wife and kids on a more consistent basis now that you put the cleats up,” Carpenter said. “It’s exciting stuff.”