Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter was hoping to pitch again in 2013, but he is no longer optimistic about his chances of that happening. If he decides to make a go of it in 2014, Cards GM John Mozeliak says he'll discuss a fresh contract with Carpenter, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
“I think right now he’s trying to get his head around does he want to try to do something next year?” Mozeliak said. “Clearly his tenure with St. Louis would require a discussion on how that might look. I think right now we have to determine where he is physically and what that might look like two, three, four months from now and if he’s going to try and make a comeback. He’s meant a lot to us. I think he deserves that type of respect and conversation.”
The 38-year-old hasn't been able to throw since struggling during a Triple-A rehab assignment and he doesn't have any plans to throw again in the near future because of nerve trouble in his right shoulder. The right-hander, who is making $10.5MM this season, has a career 3.76 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.
