St. Louis Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter and pitcher Carlos Martinez each had their options declined by the club. This was a foregone conclusion in each case, as Carpenter has slashed just .176/.313/.291 with a 29.9 percent strikeout rate since the start of 2020, and Martinez was responsible for a 6.95 ERA in the same time frame. They will be paid buyouts of $2 million and $500 thousand dollars, respectively. While it's likely that each will latch on somewhere in 2022, neither needs to be ...

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter said that he would like to continue his playing career into the 2022 season. The 35-year-old versatile infielder has struggled for several years now, putting up a disappointing .204/.325/.348 line since the start of the 2019 season. The Cardinals have an $18.5 million option on Carpenter for next year, which they should easily decline (instead paying his $2 million buyout). Carpenter could find another team to play for next year, but he hasn't been ...

Reality doesn't always meet our expectations (not just talking baseball here). But in the fantasy world, we can make things play out however we want. A player is slumping? Cut or trade him and he's gone forever. Your favorite baseball team can't realistically pull that off midseason no matter how much you want Matt Carpenter to just retire, OK?Oftentimes, I see fantasy analysts citing plate discipline as the alpha and omega for a hitter's worth as a Major Leaguer. I won't argue that striking out...

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter continued to sink even deeper into his spring slump in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Washington Nationals. Carpenter got the start at third base and went 0-for-3 with a walk, lowering his spring batting average to .028. That's not a typo. That's .028. Carpenter has one hit in 36 spring at bats. Just the fact that he's Matt Carpenter will get him onto the Opening Day roster, but he'll open the season as a reserve with Tommy Edman ...

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter reached base twice in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the New York Mets. Carpenter ended up 1-for-2 with a double, a walk, and an RBI. Carpenter has been struggling mightily this spring, with Sunday's performance raising his batting average to .059 and his OPS to .390. Carpenter is more or less guaranteed a role on the team because of his history and veteran status, but the Cardinals would certainly like to see him improve on his slow start ...

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman/designated hitter Matt Carpenter is not in the clubs starting lineup for Thursdays contest against the Pirates and left-hander Steven Brault. Tommy Edman will hold down the hot corner while Brad Miller draws the start at DH. Carpenter has struggled versus southpaws this season, batting just .167 with five total bases in 22 plate appearances. With his production way down across the board (79 OPS+, eight extra-base hits in 41 games), Carpenter holds little ...

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter will return to the starting lineup on Monday, batting seventh, after sitting out the previous two games. Carpenter, who has had a rough year, was replaced in the lineup by outfielder Lane Thomas on Sunday and in the second game of Saturday's double-header. Carpenter is slashing just .176/.340/.282 with only two home runs over 28 games this year. Coming off a disappointing 2019 season, Carpenter is someone who can remain on waivers in just about ...

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter hit a grand slam in the first game of Wednesday's double header against the Chicago Cubs. He ended up 1-for-4 in the first game, then 1-for-3 in the second game. Carpenter is hitting just .238 with a .662 OPS, but his owners will certainly be happy with his production today.

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter is in the Opening Day starting lineup as the designated hitter. Carpenter will hit fifth, while Tommy Edman will hit second and play third base. Carpenter had a down year last year but showed occasional signs of the solid play that's made him a fantasy staple for years. He'll need to get off to a quick start this season to hang onto a daily spot in the lineup, though.

MLB.com's David Adler projects St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter to be the team's primary designated hitter with the universal DH in play this year. Carpenter has been in the MVP conversation multiple times in his career, most recently in 2018, but injuries caused him to struggle to a .226/.334/.392 slash line in 2019. Brad Miller is another candidate for the role, and Carpenter's and Tommy Edman's versatility could allow players like Paul Goldschmidt and Paul DeJong to get ...