After a 14-year MLB career, Matt Carpenter has announced his retirement. The 39-year-old slugger spent 12 of those seasons in St. Louis with the Cardinals, who wished Carpenter well in an X post. “Congratulations on a great career, Matt! Whether it was on the field or in the community, you represented our city with class,” the team wrote. The Cardinals drafted Carpenter in 2009 and he debuted two years later. In 11 years in St. Louis, he slashed 262/.368/.449 and led the team with 155 home runs. His 122 OPS+ ranks fourth in the organization from 2011-2021 among hitters who made a minimum of 1,000 plate appearances. Then, Carpenter went to New York and hit .305 with a 1.138 OPS for the Yankees in 2022 and was able to parlay his success in the Bronx into a two-year, $6 million deal with the Padres. San Diego traded him to the Braves in December, and Atlanta released him three days later. Last January, he returned to his MLB roots and signed a one-year deal with the Cardinals. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Bridget Hyland may be reached at bhyland@njadvancemedia.com.