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On Friday, the St. Louis Cardinals announced that they have signed former club star Matt Carpenter to a one-year contract. The veteran spent the first 11 seasons of his MLB career with the St. Louis Cardinals, earning all three of his All-Star selections as a member of the team.
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It seems likely that this will be the final season of Matt Carpenter's successful MLB career, which makes sense as to why he would want to return to St. Louis. At 38 years old, it remains to be seen how much Carpenter will not only bring to the table for the Cardinals but also how much game time he will actually see.
The veteran slugger is coming off a disappointing season with the San Diego Padres which saw Carpenter appear in only 76 games. Over that stretch, the former All-Star posted a dismal .176 batting average with only five home runs and 31 RBIs.
This poor performance last season has led many St. Louis Cardinals fans to question the decision to bring Matt Carpenter back to the club. St. Louis is coming off a disappointing season that saw the club miss the postseason completely, which is part of the reason fans are disappointed to see the Carpenter signing.
Some fans have taken to social media to criticize the St. Louis Cardinals, calling the franchise a joke. Other fans have been more pessimistic in their criticism, saying that the team is going to continue struggling this upcoming season.
Fans believe that the team is more focused on honoring former greats like Matt Carpenter instead of winning
The signing of Carpenter is following a similar storyline that the Cardinals have followed over the past few seasons. Some fans are concerned with the direction of the team, saying that the team is prioritizing nostalgia over winning baseball games.
Over the past few seasons, the St. Louis Cardinals have made it their goal to honor some of their retiring superstars and former club legends. The team has honored the likes of Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, and Adam Wainwright, with some results paying off more than others.
It is unclear what the St. Louis Cardinals' plans are for Matt Carpenter, but the best guess is that they will honor him in a similar fashion as they did Pujols, Molina, and Wainwright. Fans will hope that the infielder plays more at the level he did with the New York Yankees in 2022 than the San Diego Padres in 2023.
