Adam Wainwright has told the Cardinals that he’d prefer to wait until the season ends before discussing a possible contract extension, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Wainwright confirmed that GM John Mozeliak contacted him in the past two weeks to discuss a deal. However, the right-hander would prefer to focus on the season now and consider a new deal after the season.
"I don't want to do anything to create a distraction for me or the team," he told Strauss.
Wainwright, who turned 31 yesterday, missed the 2011 season to undergo and recover from Tommy John ligament replacement surgery. The Aegis Sports Management client pitched to a 4.75 ERA for the first three months of the 2012 season but has since pitched as effectively as he did pre-surgery, posting a 2.08 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 1.3 BB/9 in ten outings since the beginning of July. Overall Wainwright has a 3.63 ERA with 8.5 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 and a 53% ground ball rate in 166 innings this year.
Wainwright's under contract for $12MM next year and he’s eligible for free agency following the 2013 season. The Cardinals recently extended Jake Westbrook, another member of their projected ‘13 rotation. Mozeliak has been particularly aggressive in signing players to late-season extensions, as MLBTR’s Transaction Tracker shows.
Waino’s earned a big contract with StL. Would love to see him finish his career with the redbirds.
Calling it: he signs with the Angels at the end of his current contract.
He will be 32. So what do you think? 8 years $180MM?
Nah, he will be in Dodger blue for 37 years and eleventy billion dollars.
Dr. Evil will beat that offer by giving him one hundred million-billion dollars.
Then the Yankees will top that by giving him CC’s weight in gold.
HAHA He will not be an Angel
Bird for life
See pujols
He is a sellout
I was almost for Westbrook resigning until he got lit up again.
That’s just one start…I think it’s a pretty good signing in the overall grand scheme of things. He’s been pretty reliable for the most part.
As an Astros fan, I always respected Wainwright. That being said, PLEASE stay in St. Louis. DO NOT go to the AL West!!!
5 years 100 million. Slightly under what hes worth but he wants to be a Cardinal. Why wouldnt he? 2 championships in 5 years. He also seems like a genuinely good guy, the kind of guy the Cardinals are typically willing to open up the purse strings for. Deal will get done. The Cardinals have the money to pay it as well come 2014 with a lot of expiring deals and with a lot of young talent ready to hit the scene.
What Wainwright has done this season has been very impressive particularly due to his injury last year. The Man can pitch.