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The Chicago Cubs were briefly linked to veteran first baseman Matt Carpenter last off-season and it would have been reminiscent of 2008 when the Cubs signed Jim Edmonds after Edmonds spent years torturing the team while being a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.
It was a strange sight to see Edmonds embracing the idea of hitting meaningful home runs against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field and the same would have applied to Carpenter had he signed with the North Siders last winter.
Carpenter, who has 25 home runs against the Cubs over the course of his career, ultimately signed with the San Diego Padres. Unlike his resurgence with the New York Yankees during the 2022 season, Carpenter struggled with the Padres.
Carpenter generated an OPS+ of 81 in 237 plate appearances with the Padres last season while hitting under .200 with only 5 home runs.
The Braves took on Carpenter's 2024 salary in a trade with the San Diego Padres in December before releasing the former slugger a few days later.
Carpenter was never a target of the Cubs this winter but he could be having impactful at-bats at Wrigley Field next season. The St. Louis Cardinals announced on Friday that they have signed Carpenter to a one-year deal.
The Cardinals are bringing back Matt Carpenter on a 1-year deal, the team announced. pic.twitter.com/jOA0I98aVL
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) January 19, 2024
Barring a resurgence like the one he had with the Yankees in 2022, it does not seem likely that Carpenter will have an important role on the 2024 Cardinals. The move has the impression of a team looking to do one of their former stars a solid and have him finish his career in the same uniform he was in when it started.