Veteran infielder officially announced his retirement from Major League Baseball during an appearance on Sports Spectrum’s Get In The Game podcast, hosted by former MLB pitcher Scott Linebrink (via Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
“I wanted to use this platform to officially announce my retirement from baseball,” Carpenter said. “I was lucky to play for some great organizations and had an incredible experience wearing the St. Louis Cardinals uniform for many years. I also had brief but memorable stints with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres.” He went on to express gratitude to his family and shared that he’s looking forward to the next chapter in his life.
Carpenter played 14 seasons in the majors. As recently as September, he hadn’t ruled out returning in 2025, following a year in which he dealt with injuries but still managed a 95 wRC+ over 157 plate appearances with the Cardinals—roughly league average production despite a 32.5% strikeout rate.
While still a useful bench option, the Cardinals’ focus on developing younger talent likely made another return unlikely for the 39-year-old.
Drafted by St. Louis in the 13th round of the 2009 MLB Draft, Carpenter spent 12 of his 14 seasons with the Cardinals. He debuted in 2011 with a brief seven-game stint, but firmly established himself the following year.
As a 26-year-old rookie in 2012, he batted .294/.365/.463 across 114 games while showcasing his defensive versatility at first, second, third base, and both corner outfield spots. His strong debut earned him a sixth-place finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting, even though his power numbers had yet to fully develop—he hit just six home runs in 340 plate appearances that season.
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