5 Cardinals worthy of an extension into the club's next competitive window

INF JJ Wetherholt

Giving a player a multi-year extension before he makes his MLB debut is something the Cardinals as an organization have never done. In fact, this is a rare occurrence, save for truly elite prospects throughout baseball. Jackson Chourio (eight years, $82 million) and Colt Keither (six years, $28 million) are the two most recent examples of deals like this. Several other players, such as Corbin Carroll, received extensions early in their careers.

While this is certainly a gamble for the organization, these deals could become major bargains. If Wetherholt fulfills his top prospect status, he could far outpace any of those contracts down the road, either handcuffing the Cardinals' ownership group or being too expensive for the DeWitts, causing him to leave St. Louis in free agency.

JJ Wetherholt is a consensus top-10 prospect in all of baseball right now. He spent the 2025 season in both Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis, posting a 306/.421/.510 slash line with 17 home runs and 23 stolen bases to go along with 28 doubles. JJ Lit it up in Memphis with a .978 OPS and 10 home runs in only 47 games. His bat is already years ahead of him and probably ready for the majors.

Defensively, Wetherholt has found a home at shortstop, as he's logged 725.2 innings in the minors there. He can also play third base and second base capably, only adding to his versatility. Depending on what happens with Nolan Arenado this offseason, there's a chance Wetherholt starts at the hot corner on opening day 2026.

Handing JJ Wetherholt an extension before he hits the majors will send a clear message that he's the real deal. At just 23 years old and yet to make his MLB debut and log service time, there's not a severe need to give him an extension now. However, he'll be 23 for most of the 2026 season, and giving him an 10-year extension will lock him up for all of his prime with the Cardinals, the team that drafted him. Wetherholt will be the centerpiece of the Cardinals' core for years to come with a multi-year deal.

An extension JJ Wetherholt feels far-fetched, but it would be a true sign that this front office is different than the previous one. This would also lock Wetherholt up for the foreseeable future, further proving that he's who we all think he could be.