Veteran first baseman Matt Adams has announced his retirement from baseball. The 36-year-old penned a lengthy farewell to the sport he loves and thanked his teammates, coaches, clubhouse staff, fans and family in a statement you can read in full on Adams’ social media accounts (X link and Instagram link). Adams will sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the Cardinals next week, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, giving him the opportunity to retire as a member of the organization that first selected him in the 23rd round of the 2009 draft.
The 6’3″, 260-pound Adams made his big league debut just three seasons after being drafted, getting a May/June look during his age-23 season and hitting .244/.286/.384 in his first taste of the majors. By 2013, he’d establish himself as a fixture in the Cardinals’ lineup, hitting .284/.335/.503 and popping 17 homers in just 319 plate appearances. “Big City” went on to produce solid offense in the middle of the order from 2013-17, hitting a combined .272/.317/.473 with 73 homers, 97 doubles and six triples in 1762 plate appearances from ’13-’17.
After moving Matt Carpenter to first base for the 2017 season, the Cardinals no longer had regular at-bats for Adams at first base, however. An early-season injury to Freddie Freeman in Atlanta created an opportunity, and the Cardinals flipped Adams to the Braves in exchange for then-prospect Juan Yepez. Adams caught fire in Atlanta, hitting so well early in his time there that Freeman even briefly moved across the diamond upon his return from the IL and played 16 games at third base as a means of keeping both lefty sluggers in the lineup (prior to the NL’s implementation of the designated hitter).
Adams hit free agency that offseason and signed with the Nationals on a one-year deal. He hit well as the Nats’ primary first baseman (.257/.332/.510), and when the Nats wound up embarking on a late-August sell-off that year, Adams found himself on the waiver wire, where he was claimed — by the Cardinals. His return to St. Louis didn’t go as well as his original stint, however. He slashed just .158/.200/.333 in 60 plate appearances over the season’s final six weeks.
Adams became a free agent again at season’s end, and almost one year to the date of his original deal with the Nationals, he re-signed in Washington on another one-year contract in D.C. It was a fateful return, as although Adams hit only .226 with a .276 on-base percentage, he provided a key source of lefty power and big bat off the bench in what wound up being the Nationals’ Cinderella season. Adams belted 20 homers for manager Davey Martinez’s club as the Nats embarked on a near-unfathomable rebound from a 19-31 start to win the 2019 World Series.
That 2019 season marked the last in which Adams saw even semi-regular action in the majors. He returned to Atlanta for a brief spell in 2020, appearing in 16 games but struggling at the plate. He had a similarly brief run with the Rockies in 2021, logging 22 games and again finding it difficult to recapture his form. Adams spent the 2022 season with the Kansas City Monarchs of the independent American Association and returned to the Nationals organization in 2023, though he spent the entire year with their Triple-A club. He’s been playing with the Mexican League’s Toros de Tijuana this season (.272/.309/.491, 13 homers) but will now formally call it a career just two weeks after turning 36.
Adams doesn’t sound like someone who plans to be away from baseball for long. In his retirement statement, he expressed an eagerness to travel down a new path within the game.
“I’m excited to seek out opportunities in coaching, where I can continue to contribute to the sport I love,” wrote Adams. “Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of taking on a mentoring role as a veteran player. Through that experience, I’ve found a new way to love the game — one that allows me to share my knowledge and help guide the next generation of athletes. That’s the direction I’m eager to explore. … I look forward to the chance to keep competing and winning, this time from a different vantage point.”
With his playing days now formally in the rearview mirror, Adams will turn the page on a career that saw him bat .258/.306/.463 in 2614 major league plate appearances. Along the way, he totaled 624 hits, including 118 home runs, 130 doubles and six triples. Adams scored 297 runs in his career, plated 399 of them, and participated in three different postseasons (2013, 2014 and that 2019 World Series season). He suited up for four major league teams and earned nearly $15MM in salary while accruing more than eight years of big league service. Best wishes to Matt as he takes the next step in his baseball journey.
Here ends an 85th percentile MLB career.
This was the type of player people said teams would keep with the DH added the league.
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Where are you seeing that?
I’m estimating based on the fact that a bit under 10% of MLBers get to 10 years of service time, and while he played parts of 10 seasons, I’m assuming he didn’t quite make that.
Kershaw Crusher.
The pride of Slippery Rock.
I’m a Pittsburgh native (Slippery Rock is around an hour north), but I also lived in State College, PA for many years, and that’s just down the road from where Matt grew up and played his high school ball. So I’ve always been pleased to see him succeed.
Fat Matt Adams
Who?
In a related story, Don Buford announces his retirement.
Early on anyway, when he was truly a weapon he was super quick to the ball. Had good pitch recognition as well.
Seemed, like with most mere mortals at the plate, once the league figured him out a bit, things got appreciably harder.
He was good though. Glad to see him do the one day thing with the Cardinals.
With 14 million in the bag and a World Series ring, Big City can hang them up and enjoy life after baseball.
Fulfilled his childhood dream, played a game he loved for a living, competed and did well at the game’s highest level, won a World Series, and has enough money for a few reasonable lifetimes.
Matt Adams did very well for himself.
Mets never gave Matt Adams a chance. Pathetic. One of the most clutch hitters that I’ve seen. He was a huge Met killer
Good luck in retirement after a very respectable 10 year career.
Yup, agreed, very solid career.
It’s too bad the NL DH didn’t come in until after he left the Cards, he likely would have spent longer in STL.
I thought this was a headline that the Cardinals signed him in a one year contract with an option.
118 homers and a ring. He did okay for himself.
I didn’t even know he was sick!
Def not a HOF’er
That’s what they say about Mrs. McNasty, Stinky. I’d liken her to Matt Adams in that neither are hall bound for their merits, but they both deserve more respect
I don’t think anyone would argue that he is HOF worthy. Don’t be stupid.
I didn’t know he was still considered a free agent I thought he was already gone
I will always remember the HR he crushed off Kershaw in the playoffs. Great moment.
I completely forgot Freeman played 3rd when he came back…
I’d like for the Cardinals to sign Matt to a two day contract and place him on the 28 man roster for the dates of 9-21-2024 and 9-22-2024, which are the final two home games for the Cardinals for the 2024 season. This would allow him a couple of at bats and allow him to retire as a member of the Cardinals.
Saw him hit a dinger in 2019 against the Braves at Nationals Park. It was a majestic, high-arching clout, and never in doubt. I also caught him just a month or so ago on streaming internet, playing in the Mexican League. It’s amazing how many former MLB guys are playing down there. Venezuelan League also. Robinson Cano, Wilson Ramos, Jonathan Schoop, Trevor Bauer (10-0 in 2024, with 14 complete games!), Jonathan Villar, Odubel Herrera, Addison Russell (!), Jhoulys Chacin, Ian Krol, Tommy Milone, etc. And that doesn’t include guys who had cups of coffee in the majors and guys who didn’t but just want to keep playing ball. Someone should do a documentary about it.