Allen Craig signs extension

Allen Craig will be a St. Louis Cardinal for some time to come. The first baseman, who caught the last out of the 2013 World Series, is now signed through the end of the 2017 season with a club option for 2018.

"“We are pleased to have reached agreement with Allen on a new multi-year deal,” stated Cardinals Senior Vice President/General Manager John Mozeliak. “He has been a productive middle of the lineup hitter throughout his professional career and we look forward to Allen’s continued contributions.”"

Since making his debut in the big leagues,

Feb 19, 2013; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Allen Craig (21) poses for a picture during photo day at Roger Dean Stadium. Image Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports Craig has driven in 150 runs in 238 games for the Cardinals.

Last season, despite missing games as he recovered from knee surgery, Craig hit .307, 22 home runs, and drove in 92 RBI in 119 games. His .307 batting average was still good enough for 6th place in the National League.

Interestingly enough, there is this tidbit from the Cardinals release:

"Craig led all Major Leaguers with a .400 batting mark with runners in scoring position in 2012 and over the past two seasons, his .374 (68-for-182) batting average with runners in scoring position ranks 2nd only to Joey Votto (.379) of the Reds among all Major League players."

During the 2011 postseason, Craig hit 4 home runs–three of which came during the World Series. In addition to that, Craig had 3 game-winning RBI, tying a record that is held by Kiki Cuyler and Hank Greenberg.

Craig went to University of California-Berkeley, where he was drafted in the 8th round in the June 2006 draft. Overall, since his debut, he has a .300 batting average, 37 home runs, and 150 RBI.

Now that Allen Craig is signed through 2017, the question now remains what happens with Matt Adams. Adams is eligible for arbitration in 2016 and become a free agent in 2019. It is possible that he becomes the Cardinals designated hitter in games played at American League parks but even at that, there is just not enough Major League at bats at the position.