The St. Louis Cardinals had an extremely underwhelming 2023 season and responded with a flurry of moves once the season came to an end.
St. Louis made a specific effort to improve the starting rotation and bullpen after both areas of the club significantly hindered the team in 2023. The Cardinals didn't stop there, though.
The Cardinals also brought back three-time All-Star Matt Carpenter after spending the 2023 season with the San Diego Padres.
Carpenter was selected by the Cardinals in the 13th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft and spent the first 11 years of his big league career with the team.
The veteran infielder left the Cardinals ahead of the 2022 season but is back in St. Louis thanks in large part to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, according to MLB.com's John Denton.
"One area that Goldschmidt thought could use some cleaning up in the Cardinals' clubhouse was the need for another proven veteran, so he pushed for the club to bring back 38-year-old infielder Matt Carpenter," Denton said. "Though it might not show up nightly in box scores, Goldschmidt feels Carpenter can be a big benefit to the Cards.
"I’ll be honest, I pushed for Carp -- when he was a free agent -- for him to come back," Goldschmidt said as transcribed by Denton. “I saw the impact he can have on the field and off it. The best teams always have players like him because they make the players around them better. That can’t always be measured in the stats. I’ll really rely on him a lot and ask what he sees with my swing.”
Carpenter may not see a lot of time on the field, but it's clear that he will be a major voice in the Cardinals' clubhouse.
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