St. Louis Cardinals: Matt Carpenter getting help from Joey Votto

It is understandable that Matt Carpenter would seek help anywhere possible. The former St. Louis Cardinals utility man has seen his bat completely disappear to the point where he has been virtually unplayable. At 36 years old, it was fair to wonder if he was at the end of the line.

But Carpenter is not ready to hang up the cleats just yet. He went to a respected rival in Joey Votto to determine if he had anything left in the tank and to overhaul his swing.

Former St. Louis Cardinals utility man Matt Carpenter enlists Joey Votto

Votto was basically a last ditch attempt to see if he had anything left. Had he felt that Carpenter was done, that would have been it. He would have called it a career, content with the knowledge that he gave it everything he had.

And it would have been easy to come to that conclusion. Carpenter had produced a miserable .176/.313/.291 batting line in his 418 plate appearances over the past two seasons, hitting seven homers and 17 doubles. Although he was still getting on base, his 29.9% strikeout rate over that time was easily the worst of his career. He simply looked overmatched at the plate.

But there are still those who believe that Carpenter has something to give. He had been drawing interest in free agency prior to the lockout with several teams interested in signing him for the 2022 season. His defensive versatility is valuable, but he would need to hit enough to justify that roster spot.

Votto believes there is something left as well. He feels that, with some adjustments, Carpenter can be a productive hitter again. Considering he will not cost much in free agency, it is possible that this partnership could continue in the regular season with the Reds.

Matt Carpenter knew exactly who to turn to for help. The former St. Louis Cardinals utility man has enlisted former rival Joey Votto to fix his swing.