Adam Wainwright will be back in St. Louis next year, health permitting. GM John Mozeliak told Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that barring an unexpected complication in Wainwright’s recovery from Tommy John surgery, the Cardinals will exercise their two-year, $21MM option for 2012-13.
"There is no reason for us not to assume it," Mozeliak said.
However, that’s unofficial at this point, since the Cardinals don’t have to make a decision until after the season ends. Wainwright, who underwent the ligament replacement operation before the season, says his rehab is progressing well and expects to throw on a mound next month. Mozeliak also expressed cautious optimism about the right-hander's recovery.
That said, the Cardinals don’t expect to explore the possibility of a long-term extension at this point. Wainwright, 29, finished second in the 2010 NL Cy Young balloting after finishing third in 2009.
Shocker.
I don’t understand. Why would they exercise an ace pitcher’s short term obligation option that costs what is technically below market value?!
Next thing you’ll tell me is that they intend to keep Carpenter.
They do it so if his surgery does not do well, then it is only a short term. If he does do well, then they will sign him after next year for long term. They did the same when they got Carpenter.
Sarcasm: Foreign to the Internet.
It’s the Internet genius we can’t tell if you’re just plain out stupid or its sarcasm. Most likely it’s both.
If u read mlbtr u would
No
Obsessions isn’t stupid
Thank you, Knuffy, you beat me to it with this response. I swear, some of these posters just don’t seem to understand baseball, right? Almost as bad as the ones who don’t understand sarcasm…
Crazy bastards are probably going to resign Pujols too. What are they thinking over there?
They’d be crazy not to.
I would let Carpenter walk after the season and try and bring back Jackson instead. $15 million is an awful lot for a 37 year old.
They are both gone – Carpenter back for 5M
But not an awful lot for only one year when said 37 year old who hasn’t had an FIP over 4.00 since 2002 and is generally a lock for 175-200 innings. The guy’s been one of the most remarkably consistent starters in baseball for a while and $15 million isn’t a bad price to pay on a one year deal if it could provide you that kind of production.
I agree. A lot of it depends on conditioning. MLB has some 40-year-old athletes who are fitter than 20-year-olds from the Golden Age. But there are definitely still some John Kruk “I ain’t an athlete; I’m a baseball player” boys out there on the field too.
Tangent alert: I wonder how Berkman’s going to last, too. He’s great when he’s fit.
agreed the free agent starting pitching market wont be as strong
The guy not getting the first joke is understandable, as noted by my “Foreign to the Internet” remark. Your remark screams blatant reading comprehension issue, though.
You guys think the rotation will be Wainwright, Carpenter, Garcia, Westbrook, Lohse next year? That’s pretty much what it has to be unless we can trade Lohse who has pretty much made himself worthless, and in that case Jackson might slot in 3 or 4 if he wants to stay.
No brainer. Wainwright for $21 mil over two years is still below market value.