*Photo from the San Diego Union Tribune*
There's a reunion happening in the midwest. Infielder Matt Carpenter and the St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to a one year contract, according to an announcement by the team.
The Cardinals will only be responsible for $740,000 due to Carpenter, with the Atlanta Braves paying the rest of his $5.5 million salary for this season after trading for him and releasing him shortly after. Carpenter's lone Silver Slugger and all 3 all star game selections happened in a Cardinals uniform.
St. Louis president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said in a statement that "When you think of players that helped shape our success in the 2000s, Matt Carpenter’s name is one that is synonymous with winning. Matt showed from the very beginning of his career how hard work and determination can lead to success, and we are excited to have his leadership and experience back in a Cardinals uniform."
Last season, Carpenter suited up for the San Diego Padres after signing there in the offseason. He struggled in his only year there, mustering a .176/.322/.319 slash line with a 81 OPS+, hitting 5 home runs and 12 doubles with 31 RBI's in 76 games.
Carpenter spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Cardinals, being a part of their 2011 championship team and the 2013 team that made it to the World Series before losing in 6 games to the Boston Red Sox.
To that end, Carpenter appears high on the Cardinals record books. He has the most career leadoff home runs in team history with 24 and the most in a single season with 8 in 2018. His 699 walks rank him 6th in team history and 73 game winning RBI's rank him 8th. His 68 home runs at Busch Stadium are good for a 4th place tie with Yadier Molina. He is also tied for 5th in postseason home runs with 6.
Carpenter has played for the Cardinals, Padres, and New York Yankees over 13 years in the majors. He has a .260/.367/.451 slash line with a 123 OPS+ to his name, hitting 175 home runs and 322 doubles to go with 644 RBI's over 1,452 games. He also has a .218/.290/.388 slash line with 21 RBI's and 6 home runs in 56 playoff games.
The Cardinals have been busy this offseason, adding pitchers Sonny Gray, Ryan Fernandez, Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, and Nick Robertson as they try to bounce back from a dreadful 2023 season.
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