St. Louis Cardinals: A speed bump in the Wainwright re-signing

It has been reported that the St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to bring back former ace Adam Wainwright, but a formality stands in the way of signing the dotted line.

According to ESPN, impending free agent Adam Wainwright needs to officially become a free agent before signing with the St. Louis Cardinals. This is not something that will end the entire deal, but rather a tiny little speed bump in the process.

In order for this new deal to file as an extension, and keep Waino on the roster continuously, baseball’s labor contract states the amount can be no more than a 20 percent drop in salary. For the Cardinals righty, that would mean somewhere around 15 million dollars. This recent deal is for less than that.

A Quick Goodbye

So, as players hit the free agent market five days after the final World Series game, the St. Louis Cardinals will give a heartfelt goodbye to the man that once led their pitching staff. Then, shortly after, they will welcome him back with open arms.

This cannot be stressed enough: The deal is still happening.

All of the plans that Bill Dewitt and John Mozeliak have are still intact, and they can still count on Wainwright filling up a roster spot. The deal is in place, it just needs to be allowed to continue.

Wainwright is 37 years old. He does not have much longer in a Cardinal uniform. So this quick goodbye might be considered a practice round for the near future. It is sad to lose a player who has so much history, but it is part of the game.

The Wainwright signing has brought with it mixed feelings among fans. Don’t be fooled, it is a great thing. Even if he serves as no more than a veteran presence for the talented young group of starting pitchers getting ready to make their mark.

You can still bank on Wainwright wearing a St. Louis Cardinals uniform in 2019.