Matt Carpenter Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Cardinals bring back fan favorite player as free agent

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 1/19/24

A former fan favorite is returning to the St. Louis Cardinals after two seasons playing elsewhere.

The Cardinals announced Friday that they have signed Matt Carpenter to a one-year contract. The 38-year-old joins St. Louis after spending the 2023 season with the San Diego Padres.

Matt Carpenter is a St. Louis Cardinal again. More coming soon. pic.twitter.com/o6oons7ka8

— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) January 19, 2024

Carpenter is not the player he once was, but he should at least be a popular addition for Cardinals fans to rally around. He hit just .176 for the Padres last season, a major disappointment after he revived his career by hitting .305 with the New York Yankees in 2022. Ultimately, his numbers fell off a cliff after the 2018 season, and they have not recovered for any consistent period of time since.

Carpenter spent the first 11 seasons of his career with St. Louis, where he made three All-Star teams and garnered MVP votes on three separate occasions. He was also a member of the last Cardinals team to reach the World Series in 2013. He probably will not contribute much, but generating some nostalgia coming off their worst season in over three decades might not be the team’s worst idea.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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