MLB insider believes resurgent favorite could return to Cardinals

An MLB insider thinks the Cardinals can reunite with another fan favorite who is having a resurgence at the plate.

According to The Athletic’s MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, Matt Carpenter reuniting with the St. Louis Cardinals could be a possibility.

Rosenthal noted it was his speculation and not based on anything he’s heard from sources. Carpenter’s ties to the club still run deep. Manager Oli Marmol was his roommate when the two were in the rookie league within the organization.

The insider noted Carpenter’s resurgence at the plate came after an offseason visit with former teammates Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado to the Marucci performance laboratory in Louisiana. Carpenter also worked on hitting during the last offseason with Matt Holliday, who the Cardinals recently named as the new bench coach.

Rosenthal also said Carpenter had previously been quoted as not having bought into analytics as much as he should have. Jeff Albert, the Cardinals hitting coach who was big on analytics but not so much on explaining the subject in a decipherable way for players, decided not to return to the Cardinals at the end of the season due in part to outside criticism.

Cardinals could reunite with fan-favorite Matt Carpenter according to MLB insider

Carpenter’s relationship with Marmol, who just ended his first season as manager of the Cardinals, is just one reason to return. Then add that he will have the opportunity to contribute as a designated hitter from the left-hand side of the plate. He will be able to work with a mentor in the new bench coach and former teammate, Holliday.

He will return to teammates, such as long-time friend Adam Wainwright, Goldschmidt, and Arenado.

Most importantly, he would return to the organization where he started it all. The 2021  season was disastrous for Carpenter at the plate. He couldn’t seem to grasp the problem as he often hit into the shift or would strike out, getting angry with the umpire rather than himself.

Watching Carpenter fall into this similar trap night after night was frustrating. It would be great to see him redeem himself in a Cardinals jersey.

While it’s pure speculation, it would be fun to see if St. Louis and Carpenter could work out something beneficial for all involved.