At least there won’t be the offseason song and dance this time around. After re-upping with Yadi Molina for one more year, the Cardinals are doing the same with Adam Wainwright. No free agency for either one this offseason. They will be tied to – and succeeding with – the Cardinals until the sun explodes and I feel release.
No word yet on the particulars, but it should be coming out soon:
Adam Wainwright and the #Cardinals have agreed on a deal for his return in 2022, sources close to the team have told the Post-Dispatch. News story up shortly @stltoday.
— Derrick S. Goold (@dgoold) October 1, 2021
Wainwright, 40, looked cooked in 2016-18, when he was posting a 4.77 ERA over just 362.1 innings in his mid-30s. But the guy has re-emerged the last few years, and has been as good this year as he was in his prime (3.05 ERA, 3.65 FIP, 206.1 IP). You don’t typically bet on a 40-year-old to duplicate those kinds of numbers, but obviously we’ve seen some pitchers around his age hold up for another couple years. Being a command/control guy helps, though maintaining his superlative command does require great health and the physical ability to keep repeating mechanics over the long season. I’ll admit it: what he’s doing is really, really impressive.
I’ll also admit it: I hope this year is the end of the line, and next year is one of those “oh, man, you prolly shoulda gone out on top”-type seasons.
UPDATE: Huge money, but it’s only a one-year deal and he really was that good, so:
Wainwright one-year deal is for more than $15M so figure he about/at least doubled his $8M 2021 salary. #cards
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 1, 2021