The Cardinals have declined their 2022 options on infielder Matt Carpenter and right-hander Carlos Martinez, the MLBPA announced. Carpenter had an $18.5MM club option with a $2MM buyout, whereas Martinez’s contract included a $17MM option with a $500K buyout. It was a foregone conclusion that the pair of options would be bought out after poor 2021 showings for both longtime Cardinals, who are now free agents for the first time in their careers.
Carpenter, 36 in three weeks, still draws plenty of walks (11.4%) and makes a lot of hard contact — but much of that hard contact is pulled on the ground into an eagerly awaiting shift. Just shy of 75% of Carpenter’s ground-balls were pulled this season, so it’s hardly a surprise that he batted .143 on ground-balls despite a leaguewide average of .236 on grounders. It’s a similar story on line-drives; Carpenter pulled exactly two-thirds of his liners this season and hit .536 — whereas the league average on line drives was a much larger .689.
Prior to his recent decline, Carpenter was a fixture in the St. Louis batting order who made a trio of All-Star teams and thrice drew MVP votes in the National League — including a fourth-place finish in 2013. Since Opening Day 2020, however, he’s managed just a .176/.313/.291 batting line with a 29.9% strikeout rate. Carpenter has made clear he wants to play in 2022, but it’ll almost certainly require him signing on with a new team, as the Cardinals’ infield is quite crowded. Even if the DH comes to the National League, Carpenter’s 2020-21 swoon probably wouldn’t make him a top consideration for the Cards.
Martinez’s decline was even swifter and was far less expected. Still just 30 years old, the righty was limited to 48 2/3 innings by a shoulder strain in 2019 but remained highly effective when he did take the mound that year. From 2015-19, he looked like a rotation building block — hence his $51MM contract extension — as he logged 747 innings of 3.22 ERA ball with a strong 23.7% strikeout rate and a 9.0% walk rate.
However, in 2020, Martinez was blown up for a 9.90 ERA in 20 innings, and after a strong run in mid-April and May this season, his season took a catastrophic nose dive. Martinez served up 10 runs against the Dodgers on June 2 and was tagged for five runs in three of his next four starts. His season ultimately ended with a 6.23 ERA through 82 1/3 innings and a torn ligament on his thumb that landed him on the 60-day IL. Dating back to Opening Day 2020, Martinez owns a 6.95 ERA and a woeful 6.0 K-BB% that would’ve seemed unfathomable just a few years ago.
Why do I see my Pirates signing Martinez for too much money in hopes of stablizing their terrible rotation?
Thank you Matt Carpenter for being a great Cardinals player. He played multiple positions and he was never greedy after being moved from second base, third base and then from first base and becoming a bench player. I would like to see him as a bench coach with the Cardinals if he thinks that is time to retire.
I came over to comments to say this exact same thing but Francys already put it eloquently. Carp also selflessly encouraged Arenado to come over. He says he wants to play so I hope that happens for him, otherwise he would be a terrific coaching addition.
Too bad Carpenter had to go out like he did. He stuck around 3 years too Long!!!!!
Instead of retiring while he was on Top —— he retires now after 3 years of averaging a sub-.200 Batting average.
Who cares how much money the Pirates spend on anyone? Not only is Nutting pocketing substantial money annually, he also has an asset (the team) that only goes up in value.
Spending ‘Too much money’ and ‘the Pirates’ NEVER belong in the same sentence.
Amen, brother.
Martinez would be an ideal gamble to take, a la Tyler Anderson this past year. I’d give him $5-8mil and hope he can fetch a couple decent prospects at the deadline
If Garrett Richards got $10 million from the Red Sox last offseason, he’ll get $8+ million.
Cards fan here, I like Martinez. I don’t think people realize he was hurt the last 2 seasons plus COVID last year. When he’s been healthy he’s been good. I’d take him back at a lower cost.
I’m glad you don’t make decisions for the Cardinals. Martinez is a head case. He is done!
Martinez will be a Padre. Just a hunch. He has great stuff and in my opinion he may be the only only Starting pitcher ever who needs to get away from Yadier Molina. I love Yadi and I have loved watching Carlos Martinez pitch and his team spirit on the bench over the years. I think he needs to change scenery and call his own pitches.
Hey, that stadium though….
Am I the only one who feels the Cards did Martinez dirty? With the way they yanked him out of the rotation and into the pen when he was still a quality SP, just needed to work out the control problems he was having?
He could never stay healthy in the rotation.
You are one of the few
Did you actually pay attention to Martinez’s career?
I don’t know that you are the ONLY one, but good luck finding your scattered comrades as I do y believe there are many of you. I’m glad the head case will be someone else’s rock to polish.
*don’t
There’s a lot more to the story than that. It’s been pretty well-documented that Carlos refused to take care of himself, both physically and preparation-wise before games. Inadequate training methods and eating habits, poor discipline in spending time in the video room, etc. The Cardinals wanted him in the rotation badly, Carlos forced their hand and they HAD to move him to the bullpen because it was the only place they could get any more value out of him. That is 100% on Martinez, not the team.
Lol
You may be the only one! Kidding… C-Mart could have been a certifiable weapon as a closer. He had the makeup for vicious short inning relief but consistently proved himself to be unreliable for a full season. I do believe he will bounce back and have a successful career with another team but his durability proved to be an issue in STL. No one should say the Cards failed to give him the opportunity.
In 2018 Carlos showed up to spring training unprepared and out of shape after spending the winter racing a Lamborghini through the Dominican Republic while filming it on his phone.
I don’t think that’s a fair assessment that the Cardinals didn’t treat him fairly.
Cmart has always been a slinger, not a pitcher.His ball has always moved to much,they can’t settle him down and he’s got the temper of a 2 year old, good riddance!
I always saw Martinez was more concerned about hair color and dancing around then pitching. I don’t think baseball was always his top priority in life.
I’m clutching Joc Pederson’s pearls in shock.
Does Joc know that?
This is actually a great move by the Cards, because it paves the way for them to sign Zach Davies to a multi-year contract. Last year was literally an aberration for him or something, because he’s always done really well otherwise, and the stats say so. You literally can’t argue with math. I met Zach Davies once and he is a really savvy guy who loves St. Louis, so there’s basically no reason not to sign him, not to mention that with that defense behind him he’s a surefire Cy Young candidate. He never raises his voice or yells at anyone, except for when he’s excited about something or something, so he should fit in well in such a boring town. Davies also told me how much he loves Matt Carpenter’s salsa, so get it done, Mozeliak!
Davies sure loves him some Cardinal, the way he did the Cubs dirty. Veritable sleeper agent. Amirite?
Unfortunately Zach Davies is just the type of pitcher Mo will go after on the free agent market and he will assuredly overpay.
You met him once and you know that he “never raises his voice or yells at anyone”?
Who cares if he DOES raise his voice and yell?
The one time you met him, the two of you talked about what kind of salsa you like?
You call St Louis a boring town but I think it’s obvious who the boring one is.
American Association teams are now calling Carpenter’s phone.
Mike Matheny is going to have two new Royals.
This!
Headlines today remind me of the Jane’s Addition album, “Nothing’s Shocking.”
They got Caught Stealing they did
Sadly, Jane was always poor at Addition. It WAS shocking.
Carpenter should just go to his land and hunt for the rest of his life…He went from signing for 3k to having a 100M career earnings almost…Had a great career.
Land of the Lost perhaps. Watch out for the Enik- friend or foe?
INCREDIBLE Cardinal careers for each of these studs! While their time in St. Louis has certainly soured over the years, they were each beasts at one time. I wish them the best in whatever life brings them. And I look forward to Carpenter’s Cardinal Hall of Fame ceremony.
CMart had the potential to be, but he never put it together and stayed healthy for long
Wow, when was the last time the Cardinals didn’t have a Carpenter on the team? The G.W. Bush administration?
We’ve only just begun…
Yep, 2003
yep.
funny enough, they did have one under both reagan and bush sr (cris carpenter), but he was taken in the expansion draft and they didn’t get one under clinton.
Martinez may not be a bad get if a team plans on using him out of the bullpen.
Carpenter is looking at a minor league invite to spring training somewhere if he decides to keep playing
Maybe the Marlins take a chance at either or both of them.
I could see a team like the Rays use him properly, once thru the lineup type pitcher. It would be a huge upgrade over Wacha
@ bucsfan0004;
It comes down to his decision…….
Does he want to go to a team that can square him away as a pitcher (maybe starter, maybe reliever), or does he go to the highest bidder that will further jack him around trying things?
His price may be too steep for the Guardians, but the Brewers might fit…..maybe Rays……best bet for him is probably the Giants….outside possibility is going to work with Ruben Niebla and the Padres.
Thanks for some good years! I know they have had a tough go of it lately, but I had fun rooting for the younger versions of these guys. They gave the cardinals some really good production throughout the years. I wish them both the best in free agency.
Martinez would be an interesting closer option for the Phillies
Any fan of any player shouldn’t want to see them in the hopeless Phillies bullpen
Don’t see where the Phillies pitching coach had much success with any of the Phillies bullpen pitchers in 2021.
Smell you later, bums.
Martinez is a frustrating case. Such potential, so little discipline.
I would drive them both to the airport, but neither of their egos would fit in the car.
Crap I mean Carp should of been given his salary at beginning of last year and released so someone else can come up. I hate how that Cards rush to these extensions when they have a couple years to see what a player can be or still be. Good luck locking Jake up as the salary issue that last couple years. I think he plays for a West coast team in the future.
I always got the sense that Yadi stayed frustrated with Cmart every game he pitched. I know I was. I wish him the best. Got a feeling he’s gonna be getting a phonecall soon concerning the Mets GM job.
I still think that Carlos Martinez has a decent career as a reliever, but he may have to accept a minor league contract to prove it, But at this juncture, if he is not the worst starter in baseball, he is close.
Matt Carpenter was a solid hitter at one time. I know the metrics say you have to be a pull hitter but if he hit a ground ball double to 3rd once or twice a week the other teams would have to stop shifting so much. Today’s MLB is hard to watch. Tony Guinn, Rod Carew would hit over 400 in today’s game!
I am not a fan of screwing with this beautiful game’s rules, but if there were one change to actually make it more exciting, and have D alignments make more sense to novice viewers, it would be requiring two IFers on each side of middle-2B, and all IFers have to be in the IF.
I know, I know; you say, “Just hit the other way.” Yep, and I agree, but that’s not more exciting, and nobody is doing it. Watching love taps toward 3B and a slow guy make it to 1B because the 3B and SS are forever away is incredibly redundant. Just fix it, MLB.
Clipper- I believe that occasionally hitting the other way will eliminate the extreme shifts. Not sure why players refuse to do that once every 2-3 games. Then defense has to be a little more honest. Nothing exciting about seeing stubborn hitters constantly hitting into the shift. Baseball is currently the most predictable and boring sport in the world. Just my opinion.
This was inevitable. The Cards would be foolish to exercise options that high for players who are in a decline. They may possibly offer a smaller contract if they think it’s justified.
Rays probably sign Martinez and turn him into a Cy winner.
I have a lot of respect for the Rays, but this is beyond even them.
Maybe not fix him but he might be this year’s Wacha
Born in St. Louis and been a big Cards fan almost all my life, Although these are necessary moves, baseball being a business and all, but it stinks to say goodbye to two former All-Stars and members if the 2013 World Series team.
This is just addition by subtraction. Whoever fills those 2 roster spots will most likely have to be twice as productive. You can’t get much worse.
two cancers gone, two remain
If Carp was open to playing in Asia, every team would want him