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Veteran first baseman Matt Adams has announced his retirement from baseball. The 36-year-old penned a lengthy farewell to the sport he loves and thanked his teammates, coaches, clubhouse staff, fans and family in a statement you can read in full on Adams’ social media accounts (X link and Instagram link). Adams will sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the Cardinals next week, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, giving him the opportunity to retire as a member of the organization that first selected him in the 23rd round of the 2009 draft.
The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Adams made his big-league debut just three seasons after being drafted, getting a May/June look during his age-23 season and hitting .244/.286/.384 in his first taste of the majors. By 2013, he’d establish himself as a fixture in the Cardinals’ lineup, hitting .284/.335/.503 and popping 17 homers in just 319 plate appearances. “Big City” went on to produce solid offense in the middle of the order from 2013-17, hitting a combined .272/.317/.473 with 73 homers, 97 doubles and six triples in 1762 plate appearances from ’13-’17.
After moving Matt Carpenter to first base for the 2017 season, the Cardinals no longer had regular at-bats for Adams at first base, however. An early-season injury to Freddie Freeman in Atlanta created an opportunity, and the Cardinals flipped Adams to the Braves in exchange for then-prospect Juan Yepez. Adams caught fire in Atlanta, hitting so well early in his time there that Freeman even briefly moved across the diamond upon his return from the IL and played 16 games at third base as a means of keeping both lefty sluggers in the lineup (prior to the NL’s implementation of the designated hitter).
Adams hit free agency that offseason and signed with the Nationals on a one-year deal. He hit well as the Nats’ primary first baseman (.257/.332/.510), and when the Nats wound up embarking on a late-August sell-off that year, Adams found himself on the waiver wire, where he was claimed — by the Cardinals. His return to St. Louis didn’t go as well as his original stint, however. He slashed just .158/.200/.333 in 60 plate appearances over the season’s final six weeks.
Adams became a free agent again at season’s end, and almost one year to the date of his original deal with the Nationals, he re-signed in Washington on another one-year contract in D.C. It was a fateful return, as although Adams hit only .226 with a .276 on-base percentage, he provided a key source of lefty power and big bat off the bench in what wound up being the Nationals’ Cinderella season. Adams belted 20 homers for manager Davey Martinez’s club as the Nats embarked on a near-unfathomable rebound from a 19-31 start to win the 2019 World Series.
That 2019 season marked the last in which Adams saw even semi-regular action in the majors. He returned to Atlanta for a brief spell in 2020, appearing in 16 games but struggling at the plate. He had a similarly brief run with the Rockies in 2021, logging 22 games and again finding it difficult to recapture his form. Adams spent the 2022 season with the Kansas City Monarchs of the independent American Association and returned to the Nationals organization in 2023, though he spent the entire year with their Triple-A club. He’s been playing with the Mexican League’s Toros de Tijuana this season (.272/.309/.491, 13 homers) but will now formally call it a career just two weeks after turning 36.
Adams doesn’t sound like someone who plans to be away from baseball for long. In his retirement statement, he expressed an eagerness to travel down a new path within the game.
“I’m excited to seek out opportunities in coaching, where I can continue to contribute to the sport I love,” wrote Adams. “Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of taking on a mentoring role as a veteran player. Through that experience, I’ve found a new way to love the game — one that allows me to share my knowledge and help guide the next generation of athletes. That’s the direction I’m eager to explore. … I look forward to the chance to keep competing and winning, this time from a different vantage point.”
With his playing days now formally in the rearview mirror, Adams will turn the page on a career that saw him bat .258/.306/.463 in 2,614 major-league plate appearances. Along the way, he totaled 624 hits, including 118 home runs, 130 doubles and six triples. Adams scored 297 runs in his career, plated 399 of them and participated in three different postseasons (2013, 2014 and that 2019 World Series season). He suited up for four major league teams and earned nearly $15M in salary while accruing more than eight years of big-league service. Best wishes to Matt as he takes the next step in his baseball journey.
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TODAY'S BEST
Orioles claim pair of players
The Orioles have claimed infielder Vidal Brujan off waivers from the Cubs and right-hander Carson Ragsdale off waivers from the Giants, according to a team announcement. Brujan is out of options and must be added to the big league roster but has not yet reported. Ragsdale, meanwhile, was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles’ 40-man roster now stands at 37, so no corresponding 40-man moves are necessary. Brujan, 27, was a top-100 prospect in the Rays’ system for many years. He failed to establish himself at the big league level in Tampa, however, and hit just .157/.218/.221 across 99 games (272 plate appearances) between 2021 and 2023 for the club. Prior to the 2024 season, Brujan was shipped alongside reliever Calvin Faucher to the Marlins in a trade and he was able to take on a larger role with a rebuilding Miami club. With regular playing time available to him, his performance modestly improved. He remained a below-average contributor overall, however, with a 73 wRC+ despite a 19.4% strikeout rate and a 9.0% walk rate. Those solid discipline numbers were outweighed by a complete lack of power, less impressive speed on the basepaths than his days a prospect would’ve otherwise indicated, and a lackluster BABIP. While Brujan was versatile enough to hold onto a bench role for the Marlins, he was shipped to the Cubs last offseason in the Matt Mervis trade. He held onto a bench role with Chicago throughout the first half and had value on paper as a player who could help hold down third base while Matt Shaw developed in the minor leagues while also spelling Pete Crow-Armstrong in center field. Unfortunately, the fit didn’t work out as well in practice as Brujan posted an atrocious 43 wRC+ in 36 games and was designated for assignment just before the trade deadline. Ragsdale, meanwhile, is a 27-year-old right-handed starter. He was added to the Giants’ 40-man roster last November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft after he posted a strong 3.49 ERA in 14 starts at the Double-A level that year, but a career ERA north of 5.00 at Triple-A in conjunction with a 19.9% strikeout rate against a 13.0% walk rate at the level this year left Ragsdale as little more than a depth starter for a club with a number of viable young arms. San Francisco designated him for assignment to make room for top pitching prospect Carson Whisenhunt on the roster prior to the trade deadline. Now, both players are ticketed to join the Orioles organization. Brujan figures to join the club’s active roster within the next couple of days and could serve as a versatility utility option for the infield after Ramon Urias was traded to Houston prior to the deadline this past week. Ragsdale, meanwhile, could make his big league debut at some point down the stretch to help the Orioles eat innings amid injuries to key arms like Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez, particularly after Charlie Morton was shipped off to Detroit.
Knee operation: Kirby Dach not yet back on his feet
Two years ago to the day, Canadiens fans were optimistic about Kirby Dach’s future in Montreal: the 6’4 forward had just collected 38 points in 58 games – in his first campaign in Quebec – and many wondered whether Dach had a better chance of establishing himself as a first NHL center than captain Nick Suzuki. The past 730 days have proven otherwise, but that’s not the point this morning. Since joining the Canadiens, Dach has earned a reputation as a fragile player. Virus, shoulder, upper body (concussion?), lower body, knee(ACL and MCL), knee again… Let’s just say that injuries haven’t spared Dach since he arrived in Montreal. In fact, injuries haven’t spared Dach since he started playing hockey. He has never played more than 70 games in a single season, and has only broken the 60-game barrier three times in nine junior or pro seasons. Last February, Dach underwent a second operation on his right knee in the space of 18 months. Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes may tell us that Kirby Dach is fine,but we still have our doubts. Especially whenyou consider that, with the Canadiens’ recent additions and departures, Kirby Dach is still the team’s second center on the organizational chart. content-ads]Last week, I wondered where Kirby was ? We’ve seen plenty of Habs players skating at the CN Complex this summer, but not Kirby Dach. And I had to work like a monk to catch a glimpse of him in a video filmed at Nick Suzuki’s wedding! Yesterday, I was told that Kirby Dach was spending the summer in Edmonton with Kaiden Guhle – Dach is from Saskatchewan and Guhle is from Alberta – and that Dach was still in rehab. I repeat: five months after his most recent knee operation and some 40 days before the start of practice camp, Kirby Dach is still not recovered and ready to play. Good informants spotted him in an Edmonton gym doing squats with loads that look like the ones I used to take when I went to Econofitness, not the ones an NHL player uses [content-ads]This explains it: when he came to Montreal for his captain’s wedding, Kirby Dach couldn’t – or wouldn’t – skate with his teammates in Brossard. It’s worth noting that Dach is also very quiet on social networks – his last post was in November 2024 – probably in an effort to be forgotten… to go unnoticed. Spending the summer in Alberta, rather than in Montreal (with his chums at Osheaga), makes sense, when you think about it…Let’s just say that the chances of Dach starting his season at the same time as everyone else in two months’ time are pretty slim, which is cause for concern for those hoping to see the Canadiens in the playoffs in 2026. Yes, the Kirby Dach problem would be solved if a guy like Mason MacTavish-good offensively, defensively, physically and in the face-off circle-came to Montreal, but let’s just say that the odds of that happening this summer are very low. And you can’t make plans with very improbable things![spacer title=’Prolongation’]Matthew Tkachuk, who was injured last winter while throwing down the gloves at the 4 Nations tournament, underwent surgery last month (hernia and adductor). According to the latest information from Elliotte Friedman, Tkachuk could return to action just before the Olympic Games. Let’s hope Kirby Dach doesn’t have to wait as long as Tkachuk.
Steelers Trade Package for Micah Parsons Predicted
If the Pittsburgh Steelers are viewing 2025 as a Super Bowl or bust-type season and want to stay true to the "all-in" strategy they've adopted this offseason, perhaps there's one more splash move left on the table. Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons requested a trade late last week, and while the likeliest outcome is that the two sides agree to terms on a record-setting extension that would surpass T.J. Watt's three-year, $123 million contract that he signed with Pittsburgh last month, there's also a world in which things go sideways. The Steelers aren't among the teams who need any additional pass rushers or necessarily would want to exhaust their assets by acquiring one, but there may be some wiggle room left to do so if they think landing Parsons is in the cards. Steelers Wire's Andrew Vazquez drew up a mock trade between Pittsburgh and Dallas that would send edge rusher Alex Highsmith, second-round picks in 2026 and 2027 as well as a 2027 seventh-rounder to the Lone Star State for Parsons. "The price to pay is undoubtedly steep — but there's no question the Steelers would boast an even more devastating pass rush with All-Pro DT Cameron Heyward on the interior and the edge rush duo of Parsons and former 2021 Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt," Vasquez wrote. Highsmith is a high-level player who's posted a combined 13 sacks in 28 games over the past two seasons and also logged 14.5 quarterback takedowns with five forced fumbles in 2022. The 28-year-old is under contract through 2027 with no guaranteed salary while carrying cap hits of $18.602 million in 2025, $20.102 million in 2026 and $21.102 million in 2027, per Over the Cap. Even so, a package centering around him and a pair of second-rounders likely wouldn't meet Dallas' asking price for Parsons, a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro who has never recorded less than 12 sacks in a single season. Paying two edge rushers top-of-the-market money in Watt and Parsons simply isn't realistic for the Steelers. Considering an extension would likely be a necessity in any trade for Parsons with the Cowboys, Pittsburgh can let his standoff with Dallas play out without getting involved.
Former Yankees Standouts Lose Jobs After Trade Deadline
The MLB trade deadline has come and gone, and in its wake are dozens of roster moves making way for new faces in new places. As a result, several players got their walking papers. The list includes three former New York Yankees contributors. On Friday, the San Diego Padres designated for assignment infielder Tyler Wade and optioned reliever Ron Marinaccio. "Wade was the final roster casualty to accommodate newcomers Freddy Fermin , Ramon Laureano and Ryan O'Hearn," MLB Trade Rumors reported. "This is the second DFA of the season for Wade. He didn’t make the team out of Spring Training and was outrighted off the roster. Wade accepted a minor league assignment and was called back up a couple weeks into the season. " Wade played in 59 games this season, hitting . 206. The 30-year-old played in 90 games last year with the Padres, hitting .217. MLB Trade Rumors reports San Diego will place Wade on waivers. "There’s a decent chance he’ll clear, at which point he’d again have the right to elect free agency," according to the site. "He bypassed that last time around but may feel his path back to a roster spot with the Padres is more cluttered." New York selected Wade in the fourth round of the 2013 MLB Draft. The versatile infielder made his major-league debut in 2017 with the Yankees. He played five seasons in the Bronx before being traded to the Los Angeles Angels after the 2021 season. Marianccio, a 30-year-old right-hander from Toms River, N.J., made two appearances this year with the Padres, throwing a total of 2 2/3 innings of shutout ball. The Yankees selected Marinaccio in the 19th round of the 2017 MLB Draft. He played for New York from 2022 to 2024, posting a 3.22 ERA in 101 appearances. The Yankees waived Marianccio last September. On Saturday, the Chicago Cubs designated for assignment reliever Brooks Kriske. They needed to clear space on the roster for right-hander Michael Soroka, who went to Chicago in a deadline deal with the Washington Nationals. Kriske, a 31-year-old right-hander, threw six shutout innings over four appearances this year for the Cubs. The Yankees selected Kriske in the sixth round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He debuted in the Bronx in 2020 and spent parts of 2021 with the big-league club. Kriske made a total of 12 appearances for New York with a 15.09 ERA. Yes, you read that right. He gave up 19 earned runs in 11 1/3 innings of work. The Yankees waived Kriske in September of 2021. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! What Yankees Are Getting in David Bednar, Jake Bird, Camilo Doval Former Yankees Outfielder Traded To NL East Contender Yankees' Brian Cashman Wins Deadline War Against Rival GM What Yankees Are Getting in Austin Slater Former Yankees Catcher Traded to World Series Contender
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