3-time All-Star Carpenter announces retirement

Three-time All-Star Matt Carpenter announced his retirement from baseball on Wednesday.

The longtime St. Louis Cardinals infielder thanked all of the organizations he played for, as well as his wife and family for allowing him the opportunity to play for 14 seasons.

The Cardinals selected Carpenter in the 13th round of the 2009 draft, and he became a mainstay in their lineup beginning in 2012 when he finished sixth in National League Rookie of the Year voting.

He'd go on to make three All-Star teams, win a Silver Slugger, and receive MVP consideration in three seasons afterwards, finishing fourth for the prestigious award in 2013 when he led the league in hits, runs, and doubles.

Carpenter's numbers started to dwindle in 2020 and 2021. The Cardinals didn't bring him back for 2022 after his 12 seasons in St. Louis.

The veteran remade his swing and caught on with the New York Yankees, where he posted a 1.138 OPS (216 OPS+) with 15 home runs and 37 RBIs in 47 contests.

Carpenter spent the 2023 season with the San Diego Padres before returning to the Cardinals for his final campaign in 2024.

The native Texan retires with a career .259/.366/.449 slash line with 179 homers, 659 RBIs, and 329 doubles.

He also had some big postseason moments throughout his career, including his 2014 NLDS performance against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Carpenter hit three homers with seven RBIs and posted a 1.537 OPS in four games during that series.