Cardinals veteran utility man Matt Carpenter watches the sixth inning from the bench in a game against the Pirates on Thursday, Sept, 19, 2024, at Busch Stadium.
Another former Cardinal is stepping off the field and into the studio to take a swing at broadcasting with MLB Network.
Matt Carpenter, who had an encore season this past summer with the team that drafted and debuted him, will join several shows on MLB Network on Monday and Tuesday as a guest analyst as part of the coverage and preview of playoff games.
He’ll make his first appearance on “MLB Tonight†at 5 p.m. 51ºÚÁÏ time Monday, and on Tuesday, he’ll makes appearances on “MLB Now,†a program that takes deep dives into strategy and statistical elements of the game, and “Intentional Talk†from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. 51ºÚÁÏ time.
The network plans to announce his appearances Monday morning.
Carpenter will join a network that already features a handful of former Cardinals as on-staff analysts. Albert Pujols, Xavier Scruggs and Mark DeRosa all have daily or recurring appearances with the network. Adam Wainwright, when not doing color commentary for the Phillies-Mets division series on Fox Sports and pronouncing Game 2 as one of the best he’s “ever seen or been a part of,†also does appearances and on-air analysis for MLB Network.
People are also reading…
The “guest analyst†spot is used as an introduction to the role for former players, and it’s how DeRosa began at the network before becoming one of its featured analysts.
Pujols’ first prominent appearance was during last year’s World Series, and he was considered by others at the network to be fall’s “breakout star.â€
Carlos Pena, Chris Young and Alex Avila are among the analysts who had their first look at working for the network through cameos as guest analysts.
For Monday’s “MLB Tonight,†Carpenter will join Adnan Virk, Sean Casey and Yonder Alonso.
A three-time All-Star with 14 years in the majors, Carpenter spent this past year as a designated hitter and pinch hitter for the Cardinals. In 59 games, he hit .234 with a fitting .314 on-base percentage and a .372 slugging percentage. Carpenter also hit four home runs to give him 159 in 1,388 games with the Cardinals to go with a record 55 doubles in 2013 and 308 doubles overall as a Cardinal.
Carpenter, 38, will be a free agent next month.
As a guest on the Post-Dispatch’s “Best Podcast in Baseball†in September, Carpenter explained how he intends to play in 2025 if he can find the right offer and how he enjoyed the role the Cardinals put him in — as part-time player and clubhouse mentor. The former 13th-round draft pick added how the best fit would include an opportunity to pursue a championship.
He made his debut in 2011 and has a World Series championship ring with the Cardinals, and he was the leadoff hitter for the National League championship team in 2013.
