5 St. Louis Cardinals players in line for contract extensions

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 15: Jack Flaherty #22 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches in the third inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on September 15, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 15: Jack Flaherty #22 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches in the third inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on September 15, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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ST LOUIS, MO – JULY 08: Adam Wainwright #50 of the St. Louis Cardinals looks on during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium on July 8, 2022 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MO – JULY 08: Adam Wainwright #50 of the St. Louis Cardinals looks on during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium on July 8, 2022 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) /

Adam Wainwright

If Adam Wainwright decides to postpone his retirement and return for one more season, it seems like a natural choice to re-sign him. That’s not for sentimental reasons, either; he’s still a very productive pitcher at age 40. His guile and still-devastating curveball give many hitters fits, and I’ll hazard a guess that with hitters now preparing for upper-90s gas on every pitch, a crafty veteran like Wainwright who can sequence and locate his pitches expertly will only be more valuable with time.

There is a very real chance that Wainwright will ride off into the sunset with Yadier Molina after 2022, but if he does want to come back, I imagine he won’t take an offer with any other team. He said last year upon his re-signing that other teams offered him more money than the Cardinals. I don’t think he’d want to relocate at this point, so if the Cardinals don’t offer him another one-year deal, Wainwright will almost assuredly hang up the cleats without a regret.