Carpenter became a free agent Thursday after the Cardinals declined his team option, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Carpenter spent 11 seasons in St. Louis, hitting .262/.368/.449 with 155 homers. He's been a below-average hitter for three straight seasons and has failed to clear the Mendoza Line in the last two, however, so it's unsurprising to see that the team doesn't want to bring him back for his age-36 season. Even if the universal designated hitter arrives and opens up 15 more jobs for older players without much defensive value, Carpenter may still find it tough to secure a major-league contract this winter.