Predicting the fates of 7 Cardinals players, 2 coaches, and 1 executive after 2024

Matt Carpenter will return next year but not as a player.

Matt Carpenter will likely retire after this year. He's gone from a regular designated hitter/first baseman in 2022 to a reserve bat off the bench. It's time for the 38-year-old infielder to call it quits after 14 years in baseball.

Carpenter was drafted by the Cardinals in the 13th round of the 2009 MLB Draft out of Texas Christian University. He made his debut just two years later in 2011. Along with Lance Lynn, Matt Carpenter is the last active player in baseball from the 2011 World Series victory. He left the Cardinals following the 2021 season, and he played for the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Marp re-joined the Cardinals this year on a one-year, $740,000 deal. This was bound to be his swan song from the start of the season. In just 146 plate appearances, Carpenter has a .236/.317/.378 slash line with four home runs and 15 runs batted in for an OPS+ of 94. His on-field contributions have been less than anticipated, but he's been an excellent leader in the clubhouse for a variety of players on the team.

I would expect the Cardinals to keep Matt Carpenter in the organization next year; however, he won't be a player anymore. I think the Cardinals and Matt Carpenter will agree to a coaching role of some kind. Whether he becomes an assistant hitting coach or a minor league instructor, Carpenter will remain with the organization that drafted him 15 years ago in some capacity.