Matt Carpenter, who gave the Yankees an unexpected jolt in 2022, is retiring after 14 MLB seasons, he announced Tuesday.
Carpenter, a three-time All-Star, played 12 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, including last year when he returned for what proved to be his final MLB campaign.
“I was very fortunate enough to play for some great organizations, and I had quite a thrill being able to don the St. Louis Cardinals logo for many years,” Carpenter, 39, told former teammate Scott Linebrink on Sports Spectrum’s “Get in the Game” podcast.
Carpenter finished with a .259 average, 179 home runs, a .366 on-base percentage and an .814 OPS in 1,511 games with the Cardinals, Yankees and San Diego Padres from 2011-24.
The versatile infielder spent his first 11 seasons with the Cardinals, with whom he earned all three of his All-Star selections.
The lefty-swinging Carpenter finished fourth in National League MVP voting in 2013, when he batted .318 and tied for the MLB lead with 199 hits. He finished ninth in NL MVP voting in 2018, when he hit a career-high 36 home runs.
Carpenter appeared to be nearing the end of his career after a 2021 season in which he batted .169 — his third consecutive year hitting .226 or lower.
But after starting the 2022 season in the Texas Rangers’ minor-league system, Carpenter opted out of his contract and signed with the Yankees that May. He was so eager to contribute to an MLB club that Carpenter joked he would “load the bags on the plane” if the Yankees asked him to.
With a rebuilt swing, Carpenter quickly became a revelation.
At age 36, Carpenter hit .305 with 15 home runs in only 128 at-bats with the Yankees and sported a stellar 1.138 OPS. His mustache and pregame barefoot walks contributed to him becoming an instant fan favorite.
A foul ball fractured his left foot that August, however, and brought a sudden end to Carpenter’s regular season. While Carpenter managed to return in the postseason, he was unable to regain his regular-season magic.
Carpenter spent the 2023 season with the Padres before rejoining the Cardinals, with whom he hit .234 with four homers in 59 games last year.
In his career, Carpenter appeared in 674 games at third base; 356 at first base; 247 at second base; and 40 in the outfield. He led the NL with 95 walks in 2014 and drew more than 100 free passes in two other seasons.
“I’m excited for what’s next,” Carpenter said Tuesday, “and getting to spend some much-needed quality time with my wife and kids on a more consistent basis now that [I have] put the cleats up.”
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