MLB insider sparks buzz around Cardinals, JJ Wetherholt extension talks

JJ Wetherholt already looks like the St. Louis Cardinals' next star, and the club is working on getting him locked up to a long-term deal.

Fans have been clamoring since even before Wetherholt's debut for the club to sign him to a long-term deal, and now we have an actual report to back that up. MLB insider Jon Heyman reported today that the Cardinals are trying to extend Wetherholt, which should be music to fans' ears.

The Cardinals would be wise to extend JJ Wetherholt

Multiple rookies and prospects have received long-term extensions in recent weeks around the league, and others, like Pirates' star prospect Konner Griffin, remain in talks with their club. The Cardinals should be doing their best to move Wetherholt into the "finished" extensions category.

Dating all the way back to his time with the University of West Virginia, Wetherholt has carried a pedigree with him as a can't-miss hitter. His bat-to-ball skills were exceptional, his feel for the strike zone was even better, and the dude just mashed. That continued after being drafted by the Cardinals seventh overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, and he flew through the minor leagues because of it.

And already in his short stint at the Major League level, Wetherholt has left a strong impression on the organization, fanbase, and the rest of the league. Wetherholt already has the feel of a seasoned pro, and he seems like he's going to be an impact player for a long time.

He's got the aura and moxy of a face of the franchise type player, and given where the Cardinals are at in their rebuild, locking him in for years to come would go a long way in helping the fanbase get fired up about not only his future, but the direction of the organization.

There's always a bit of risk with extensions, even for a top-five prospect in the game like Wetherholt, but the upside is immense. The Cardinals are not one of those big-market teams that can spend however they feel like, so getting young players on extensions early will help them be able to build their roster long-term.

Guys like Corbin Carroll, Julio Rodríguez, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Jackson Chourio all received extensions during their rookie eligibility or before debuting, and those deals are aging really well for their organizations. Wetherholt is a talent worth taking a gamble on.

And the Cardinals should be figuring out how to get that done soon.