Veteran first baseman Matt Adams has announced his retirement from baseball at the age of 36. In a heartfelt farewell message posted on his social media accounts, Adams expressed his gratitude to teammates, coaches, clubhouse staff, fans, and family. Next week, he will sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing him to retire with the team that drafted him in the 23rd round of the 2009 draft, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 260 pounds, Adams made his MLB debut just three seasons after being drafted. During his age-23 season, he had a brief stint, posting a .244/.286/.384 slash line. By 2013, he became a key player for the Cardinals, delivering a strong .284/.335/.503 performance with 17 home runs in just 319 plate appearances. Over the next four seasons, Adams continued to be a reliable offensive presence, hitting .272/.317/.473 with 73 homers, 97 doubles, and six triples in 1,762 plate appearances.
With the arrival of Matt Carpenter as the Cardinals’ first baseman in 2017, Adams lost his regular spot. An injury to Freddie Freeman provided an opportunity, leading to Adams being traded to the Braves for prospect Juan Yepez. Adams thrived in Atlanta, playing so well that Freeman briefly moved to third base to accommodate him, prior to the implementation of the designated hitter in the National League.
Following that season, Adams signed a one-year deal with the Nationals, where he performed well as their primary first baseman (.257/.332/.510). However, after the Nationals began a late-season sell-off, Adams was claimed off waivers by the Cardinals. His return to St. Louis wasn’t as successful as his first stint, as he posted a .158/.200/.333 line in 60 plate appearances over the final six weeks of the season.
He became a free agent again and re-signed with the Nationals for another one-year deal. Despite hitting just .226 with a .276 on-base percentage, Adams played a crucial role as a power hitter off the bench, contributing 20 homers during the Nationals’ surprising run to win the 2019 World Series.
The 2019 season was his last with substantial major league play. Adams had brief stints with the Braves in 2020 and the Rockies in 2021 but struggled with performance. He spent the 2022 season with the Kansas City Monarchs in the independent American Association and rejoined the Nationals organization in 2023, playing the entire season with their Triple-A team. He has been with the Toros de Tijuana in the Mexican League this season, where he has hit .272/.309/.491 with 13 home runs. Now, just two weeks after turning 36, Adams is officially retiring.
In his retirement statement, Adams expressed his enthusiasm for transitioning into coaching, where he hopes to continue contributing to the sport. He shared his excitement about mentoring the next generation of players and looks forward to exploring this new chapter in his baseball journey.