Veteran first baseman Matt Adams has announced his retirement from baseball. The 36-year-old shared a heartfelt farewell to the sport, expressing gratitude to his teammates, coaches, clubhouse staff, fans, and family. His full statement is available on his social media accounts (links on X and Instagram). According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Adams will sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the St. Louis Cardinals next week, allowing him to retire with the team that drafted him in the 23rd round of the 2009 MLB Draft.
Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 260 pounds, Adams made his major league debut just three seasons after being drafted. During his age-23 season in 2012, he posted a .244/.286/.384 line. By 2013, he had become a key player for the Cardinals, hitting .284/.335/.503 and smashing 17 home runs in just 319 plate appearances. Adams was a consistent offensive presence from 2013 to 2017, compiling a .272/.317/.473 slash line with 73 home runs, 97 doubles, and six triples across 1,762 plate appearances.
When the Cardinals shifted Matt Carpenter to first base for the 2017 season, Adams lost his regular spot. An injury to Freddie Freeman early in the season opened a spot for Adams with the Braves, who acquired him in exchange for then-prospect Juan Yepez. Adams excelled in Atlanta, performing well enough that Freeman even briefly played third base to keep both sluggers in the lineup.
Following that season, Adams signed a one-year deal with the Nationals. He performed well as the primary first baseman, hitting .257/.332/.510. However, after the Nationals began a late-season sell-off, Adams was claimed off waivers by the Cardinals. His second stint in St. Louis didn’t match his earlier success, as he hit just .158/.200/.333 in 60 plate appearances over the final six weeks of the season.
Adams became a free agent again and re-signed with the Nationals for the 2019 season. Despite hitting only .226 with a .276 on-base percentage, he was a crucial power bat off the bench. Adams hit 20 home runs as the Nationals made a dramatic comeback from a 19-31 start to win the World Series.
The 2019 season was the last time Adams saw regular action in the majors. He had brief stints with the Braves and Rockies in 2020 and 2021, respectively, struggling to regain his form. In 2022, Adams played with the Kansas City Monarchs in the independent American Association, and he returned to the Nationals organization in 2023, spending the entire season with their Triple-A team. This year, he played for the Toros de Tijuana in the Mexican League, hitting .272/.309/.491 with 13 home runs. Now, just two weeks after his 36th birthday, Adams is officially retiring.
In his retirement statement, Adams expressed his enthusiasm for exploring new opportunities within baseball, hinting that he may not be leaving the sport entirely.
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 career officially concluded, Adams is closing the chapter on a tenure that saw him post a .258/.306/.463 batting line across 2,614 major-league plate appearances. Over his career, he accumulated 624 hits, including 118 home runs, 130 doubles, and six triples.
Adams scored 297 runs and drove in 399, participating in three postseasons (2013, 2014, and the 2019 World Series). He played for four different major league teams and earned nearly $15 million in salary, with over eight years of big-league service. Best wishes to Matt as he embarks on the next phase of his baseball journey.
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