The 38-year-old hasn't pitched in the majors this season as he attempts to come back from neck and shoulder nerve damage. His rehab has been on hold since he struggled in a recent start for Class AAA Memphis.

The 2005 Cy Young Award winner missed most of last season because of the injury, which resulted in neurogenic thoracic outlet surgery in July 2012.

He is eligible to be a free agent after the season, and Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told the Post-Dispatch the team will discuss with him whether he wants to attempt a comeback for St. Louis.

“I think right now he’s trying to get his head around does he want to try to do something next year?” Mozeliak said. “Clearly his tenure with St. Louis would require a discussion on how that might look. I think right now we have to determine where he is physically and what that might look like two, three, four months from now and if he’s going to try and make a comeback.

"He’s meant a lot to us. I think he deserves that type of respect and conversation.”

Carpenter has 144 career wins and is third in Cardinals history with 1,085 strikeouts.