13 potential contract extensions for young Cardinals ranging from realistic to absurd

Since Opening Day, several young players across baseball have signed long-term agreements with their respective teams.

The Boston Red Sox agreed to deals with starting pitcher Garrett Crochet (six years, $170 million) and shortstop Kristian Campbell (eight years, $60 million with two club options). Outfielder Jackson Merrill and the San Diego Padres agreed to a nine-year, $135 million deal with a club option. Ketel Marte signed a six-year, $116.5 million deal with a player option with the Arizona Diamondbacks along with starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt, who agreed to a five-year, $45 million deal with the D-Backs.

These extensions come on the heels of several others that were inked right before the season started. Tanner Bibee of the Cleveland Guardians (five years, $48 million), Alejandro Kirk of the Toronto Blue Jays (five years, $58 million), and Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners (six years, $105 million) all signed deals prior to Opening Day.

This has gotten St. Louis Cardinals fans thinking: Which Cardinal could receive an extension during this rampant time?

Each of these extensions, sans the one given to outfielder Starling Marte, was given to a player either in pre-arbitration or arbitration. In fact, Kristian Campbell received his contract with fewer than 15 plate appearances to his name.

Given the Cardinals' desire to field a young and competitive team, it's best to focus on young players rather than veterans for extensions. The club has several players in arbitration and pre-arbitration who are viable candidates for an extension. I'll also mention a few players who have little to no major-league experience who could see an extension a la Kristian Campbell, but these players would be long shots to receive a long-term contract.

Here are 13 players who could receive a long-term extension from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Rookies or players with minimal major-league experience

This crop of players is the least likely to receive an extension. The Cardinals are typically averse to giving out contracts to players without a proven track record. The least proven player who received a contract under John Mozeliak's tenure was shortstop Paul DeJong. DeJong still had six years of team control to his name when he inked a six-year, $26 million deal in 2018. Up to that point, he had logged only 443 plate appearances, and he was coming out of his rookie season.

JJ Wetherholt

JJ Wetherholt hasn't even been a Cardinal for 365 days, and there's still a chance he could see a long-term extension come his way. The Cardinals' 2024 first-round draftee, Wetherholt finished 2024 with a .295/.405/.400 slash line with 16 walks and 15 strikeouts at Low-A Palm Beach. Wetherholt will skip his way up to Double-A Springfield this year to start.

If all goes well at Springfield, there's a chance the Cardinals could offer a long-term extension of around eight years to lock up their top draft pick from last year.

Michael McGreevy

A former first-round pick as well, Michael McGreevy has made his major-league debut. McGreevy, 24, threw 23 innings in 2024, and he's maintained his rookie status. In just four outings, McGreevy struck out 18 batters and finished with a 3-0 record and a 1.96 ERA. It's tough to have a stronger first showing than McGreevy's last year.

The right-handed pitcher continued his strong work in Spring Training. He threw 16.2 innings with a 1.08 ERA and 12 strikeouts, and he didn't walk a single batter in five games. Giving unproven pitchers long-term deals is risky and uncommon, but the Cardinals could break the mold.