Cardinals Should Be Open To Reunion With Fan Favorite in 2025

It wouldn't hurt for the Cardinals to bring him back.

Aug 5, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of Busch Stadium during the first inning of a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Colorado Rockies. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals missed the postseason after finishing 83-79 in 2024, and now will embark on a rebuild. This means certain players will be traded away.

This also means that the Cardinals are highly unlikely to sign any major free agents that would improve their roster for 2025, and possibly even 2026. But just because they aren't going after big names doesn't mean they should completely avoid the free agent market.

Katie Woo of The Athletic notes that a reunion with fan-favorite Matt Carpenter is unlikely, but that Carpenter is open to coming back in a similar role to this year. If he is open to staying, St. Louis should pursue a reunion.

While Carpenter won't significantly improve the roster by any means, it's important to remember that the Cardinals are putting contending on the backburner for at least next season. They'll be giving most of their opportunities to young players already in the organization.

But re-signing Carpenter can't hurt. Because he isn't a major upgrade over anything they already have, he won't take opportunities away from St. Louis' younger players.

Carpenter could also serve as a mentor to some of the young players and be a solid veteran presence in the clubhouse.

The 38-year-old hit .234 with four home runs, 15 RBI and a .686 OPS during the 2024 season. He won't be expensive by any means, so it wouldn't be a bad idea for St. Louis to keep him around during this transitional period.

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