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Former St. Louis Cardinals First Baseman Matt Adams Announces Retirement

Matt Adams, who spent seven seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and won a World Series with the Washington Nationals, will be hanging up his cleats for good on Wednesday.

Sam Connon

Sep 10, 2018; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams (15) celebrates after hitting a three run home run against Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Edgar Santana (not pictured) during the eighth inning at Busch Stadium.
Sep 10, 2018; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams (15) celebrates after hitting a three run home run against Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Edgar Santana (not pictured) during the eighth inning at Busch Stadium. / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
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Matt Adams, who hasn't played in the big leagues in over three years, announced Sunday night that he would be retiring as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday.

The 36-year-old first baseman was drafted by the Cardinals in 2009 and played for the team from 2012 through 2018. He helped St. Louis win the National League pennant in 2013, earning the nickname "Big City" during his time with the club.

Adams peaked from 2013 to 2019, batting .261 with a .782 OPS and 5.7 WAR in that span. He topped 15 home runs in 2013, 2015 and 2016, then racked up at least 20 homers every season from 2017 to 2019.

Over the course of his 10-year MLB career, Adams recorded 624 hits, 118 home runs, 399 RBI and 297 runs in 856 games.

Adams also spent time with the Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies between 2017 and 2021. As a member of the Nationals in 2019, Adams helped eliminate the Cardinals in the NLCS, then went on to win his first World Series title.

After playing independent ball with the Kansas City Monarchs in 2022, Adams spent all of 2023 with the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate in Rochester. He hit .272 with an .800 OPS across 62 games in the Mexican League this season before ultimately deciding to retire.

Adams said that he will be back at Busch Stadium on Wednesday, surrounded by friends and family, when the Cardinals are set to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. The veteran slugger also noted that he will not be leaving baseball behind, but instead transitioning into the coaching world.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.

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