What the Carpenter extension gives the Cardinals

By COREY NOLES

The decision by the St. Louis Cardinals front office to grant an extension to Matt Carpenter was the next step by the John Mozeliak to solidify the team's core for the next generation.

The deal will make Carpenter a Cardinal through 2019 with an option for 2010 and costs the team a total of $52 million.

The signing shows that the team sees Carpenter as a key part of the squad's nucleus for years to come. He joins Adam Wainwright, Matt Holliday, Jhonny Peralta, Yadier Molina and Allen Craig as the only Cardinals locked through 2016 or later.

That's good company--especially for a player many doubted could handle second base in 2013. How did that work out again?

During the press conference announcing the deal, Bill Dewitt, Jr. made reference to the fact that he would like to see Carpenter finish his career as a Cardinal. The decision to buy out a lock year, all three arbitration years and his first two years of free agent eligibility are a step in the right direction.

It shows that the Cardinals don't believe what Carpenter accomplished in 2013 to be a fluke. It means they think the young man from Texas is, in fact, the real deal.

There are plenty of other reasons that it made sense for the Cardinals to lock up Carpenter early.

Here are a few thoughts...

Long-term leadoff batter

While the Cardinals have had success getting a player to bat leadoff for a year before collapsing, having someone in the slot long-term is something they've needed.

Both Jon Jay and Rafael Furcal did fantastic jobs in the short-term scheme of things, but it lacked consistency.

Matt Carpenter does not lack consistency.

His ability to go deep into at bats and exercise patience at the plate put him on base--a lot.

In 2013, Carpenter led all MLB second basemen with a .392 on-base percentage.

At his new position of third base, that OBP would have been behind only Miguel Cabrera.

A compliment to power

Carpenter is not a power hitter.

He can hit for power, but his real value is in his ability to dig out extra base hits. His 55 doubles led all of MLB in 2013.

A runner on second when the heart of the lineup comes to the plate is Matt Carpenter's specialty--and that translates into a lot of runs.

In 2013, Carpenter led all of MLB in runs scored with 126. That's 17 runs more than Mike Trout, who came in second.

He wasn't just at the top of them helm, he was way on top.

Diversity

Possibly the most valuable trait Carpenter brings to this team is his diversity.

While he will begin the season as a third baseman, his native position, he's easily shifted.

Aside from being one of the games best active second baseman in 2013, he's also a capable outfielder and first baseman.

There are very few scenarios where if someone was hurt, he couldn't fill in.

Frankly, I'm convinced that if you have him a set of catcher's gear or even sent him to the mound, he'd go out and do a decent job. That's more than what any team expects from a player.

The Cardinals saw the true value of Matt Carpenter and acted quickly to give him a fair deal that he has truly earned. Excellent move.

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All stats are courtesy Baseball Reference and Cot's Baseball Contracts as of March 8, 2014.

Corey Noles is a Cardinals Writer and Columnist for The Daily Statesman. He is also a regular contributor to KSDK.com and Bleacher Report. Contact him at cnoles@dailystatesman.com or on Twitter @coreynoles.