When the St. Louis Cardinals signed Chris Carpenter in December 2002, they believed they were adding pitching depth for the second half of the 2003 season. Instead, they uncovered the ace who would help lead the franchise to World Series titles in 2006 and 2011.
A 6-foot-6 right-hander drafted 15th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993 out of Trinity High School in Manchester, New Hampshire, Carpenter showed promise early in his career. At age 23, he went 12-7 with a 4.37 ERA over 175 innings in his first full major league season in 1998.
The next year appeared to be his breakthrough. Carpenter carried a 3.24 ERA into the All-Star break despite missing much of June with elbow inflammation. But the second half unraveled. His ERA climbed to 6.31, and his season ended when he underwent surgery to remove a bone spur in his elbow.
His struggles continued in 2000. Carpenter went 10-12 with a 6.26 ERA, allowed an American League-high 122 earned runs, and was briefly moved to the bullpen in August. He rebounded in 2001, winning 11 games with a 4.09 ERA over 215 2/3 innings, but another major setback followed in 2002. Named Toronto’s Opening Day starter, Carpenter lasted only 2 1/3 innings before shoulder trouble sent him to the injured list. He returned briefly, then suffered additional setbacks before undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum, with pins inserted into his shoulder.
At season’s end, with Carpenter expected to miss the first half of the 2003 season, the Blue Jays removed Carpenter from their 40-man roster and instead offered him a minor-league contract with incentives.[1] Carpenter declined and became a free agent.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, were searching urgently for pitching. The organization was still coping with the loss of Darryl Kile, who passed away during the 2002 season, and the retirement of veteran starter Andy Benes. General manager Walt Jocketty had already re-signed Woody Williams to a two-year, $14.9 million contract. Chuck Finley, whom the Cardinals acquired in a trade with the Indians in July, was also considering a contract offer to return for 2003 (ultimately, he turned down the Cardinals’ offer and chose to retire).
Jocketty also explored trade possibilities with the Expos regarding Bartolo Colon and Javier Vazquez, and with the Giants regarding Livan Hernandez and Russ Ortiz,[2] as well as a potential deal with the Padres that would send Gold Glove second baseman Fernando Vina to the Padres for Brett Tomko and Kevin Jarvis.[3]
Even as Jocketty talked with other teams about potential trade opportunities, he explored the option of adding Carpenter to the Cardinals’ roster. On December 9, Carpenter traveled to St. Louis to have an MRI completed on his shoulder.[4] Three days later, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Cardinals, who had explored trading for Carpenter during the recent trade deadline, were negotiating a new deal with Carpenter. The paper described him as “a potential swingman for the Redbirds late next season.”[5]
“He’s somebody we’ve liked for a while,” Jocketty said. “I would like to think something could happen soon.”[6]
On December 13, Carpenter, who had earned $3.45 million with the Blue Jays in 2002, signed a $700,000 contract with the Cardinals. Unlike Toronto’s offer, the deal included a major league roster spot. Carpenter would earn the major league minimum salary of $300,000 with a $200,000 bonus if he appeared in a major league game. The contract included a team option for 2004 with a $200,000 buyout.[7]
Carpenter said his decision to sign had little to do with the money. Instead, he was motivated by conversations with former teammates Mike Matheny, Pat Hentgen, and Williams, each of whom had played in St. Louis.
“They all said it was the best city, the best fans, the best organization,” Carpenter said. “It wasn’t a financial decision at all. It was because it was the best situation.”[8]
Despite both the Cardinals’ and Carpenter’s hopes for 2003, he wouldn’t make an impact until 2004. On July 29, after he experienced discomfort in his shoulder during his rehab assignment, Carpenter underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove scar tissue. In November, the Cardinals declined to exercise their option on Carpenter’s contract, though they expressed hope that they could re-sign him under a restructured deal.
“I think Carpenter is a guy who we think could still help us,” Jocketty said. “We went through the whole rehab process last year, and he has a clean bill of health.”[9]
In December, Carpenter and the Cardinals agreed to a one-year deal and Jocketty announced that he planned for Carpenter to be one of the Cardinals’ starters to open the year.
“I don’t think there’s any concern for him not being ready,” Jocketty said.[10]
Finally healthy for the first time in years, Carpenter proved to be more than ready, going 15-5 with a 3.46 ERA to help the Cardinals win the National League Central Division.
He was even better in 2005, going 21-5 with a 2.83 ERA to win the NL Cy Young Award. Carpenter’s 241 2/3 innings included seven complete games, more than anyone in baseball. In the postseason, he went 2-0 in three starts with a 2.14 ERA over 21 innings.
During Carpenter’s nine seasons in St. Louis, he emerged as one of baseball’s best pitchers, going 95-44 with a 3.07 ERA. In 2006, Carpenter threw eight shutout innings in Game 3 of the World Series to help the Cardinals capture their 10th world championship. Five years later, he outdueled Roy Halladay to win Game 7 of the NLDS, then earned the win in two World Series games to help the Cardinals top the Rangers in seven games.
Carpenter was inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2016.
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[1] “Blue Jays, Carpenter go separate ways,” Windsor Star, December 13, 2002.
[2] Joe Strauss, “Cardinals might be closing gap with Finley,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 12, 2002.
[3] Joe Strauss, “Cards’ chance of keeping Finley is put at 50-50,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 14, 2002.
[4] Joe Strauss, “Cards’ chance of keeping Finley is put at 50-50,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 14, 2002.
[5] Joe Strauss, “Cardinals might be closing gap with Finley,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 12, 2002.
[6] Joe Strauss, “Cardinals might be closing gap with Finley,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 12, 2002.
[7] Joe Strauss, “Cards’ chance of keeping Finley is put at 50-50,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 14, 2002.
[8] Joe Strauss, “Cards’ chance of keeping Finley is put at 50-50,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 14, 2002.
[9] Dan O’Neill, “Cardinals decline option on Vina,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 4, 2003.
[10] Joe Strauss, “Cards still like Carpenter’s tools,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 2, 2003.