ROUND ROCK, Texas (AP) — Three-time All-Star infielder Matt Carpenter was fired from their Triple-A team by the Texas Rangers on Thursday and became a free agent in a mutual decision due to lack of opportunities with their big league team.
The 36-year-old Carpenter entered spring training on a minor league contract and accepted the Round Rock assignment when he failed to make it to Rangers opening day. He hit .275 with six home runs and 19 RBI’s in 21 Triple-A games, but Texas still didn’t have room for him in the majors.
Carpenter played his first 11 Major League seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, taking him into the 13th round of TCU’s 2009 amateur game, about 20 miles from the Rangers’ home base.
St. Louis paid a $2 million buyout instead of exercising its $18.5 million club option after last season when Carpenter brought in .169 with three home runs and 21 RBI’s in 130 games. He hit .186 with four home runs and 24 RBI’s in 50 games in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. His last All-Star season was 2016.
†
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
