Cardinals News: St. Louis signs Adam Wainwright to extension

Adam Wainwright #50 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates with Yadier Molina #4 after pitching a complete game and defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0 at PNC Park on August 11, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Adam Wainwright #50 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates with Yadier Molina #4 after pitching a complete game and defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0 at PNC Park on August 11, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

The St. Louis Cardinals have signed Adam Wainwright to a one-year contract extension.

The St. Louis Cardinals are in agreement on a one-year extension with right-hander Adam Wainwright, as first reported by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Terms of the deal are undisclosed.

This has always been the most likely outcome — and it’s not a surprise that it got done now. First, his longtime battery mate Yadier Molina signed a one-year, $10 million extension over a month ago. Second, star third baseman Nolan Arenado committed to the Cardinals in 2022, announcing that he would not exercise his opt out clause after this season. It ensured that the team would remain competitive next season, which surely appealed to Wainwright.

Now, Wainwright and Molina will have one last run at a World Series together before (likely) going out together following the 2022 season. They have made it clear that they want to break the record for most starts between pitcher and catcher, with the record within reach with one more season together, and will now have the opportunity to do so.

Wainwright, 40, was deserving of an extension. He has a 3.05 ERA in 32 starts, with his 206.1 innings among the most in baseball, and his 174/50 strikeout-to-walk ratio remains strong. It’s been his best statistical season since 2014, which is borderline stunning considering that injuries recently threatened to derail his career that has now spanned 16 seasons.

In those 16 seasons, Wainwright has a 3.35 ERA in 2375.2 innings. He just recorded his 2000th career strikeout and has set himself up to enter the Hall of Fame alongside Molina, which would be a storybook ending for two legendary careers in St. Louis.

Their season is not over just yet, with Wainwright scheduled to start the wild card game against the Los Angeles Dodgers next week. But there will be one more chapter to perhaps the greatest duo in St. Louis Cardinals history in 2022. If it’s anything close to this year, it promises to be magical.

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