Adam Wainwright is returning to the St. Louis Cardinals for one final season.
The Cardinals and their longtime ace agreed on a one-year, $17.5 million contract with several award bonuses and escalators, which includes $500K each for making 28 and 30 starts.
Wainwright went 11-12 with a 3.71 ERA in 2022 and was largely motivated to return due to his uncharacteristically bad September, which caused him to be skipped in the postseason.
But Wainwright is no stranger to fighting back from adversity.
The 41-year-old right-hander has accomplished just about everything during his 17-year career, winning two World Series titles and earning three All-Star selections.
MLB Network tweeted a graphic that lists all of Wainwright’s accomplishments.
Running it back for Year 18! ↩️@UncleCharlie50 | @Cardinals | #STLCards pic.twitter.com/DZBB537FV5
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 28, 2022
Wainwright’s Career Accolades
In addition to two World Series titles and three All-Star selections, Wainwright was the Roberto Clemente Award winner back in 2020.
He was acquired from the Atlanta Braves in December of 2003 in what ended up being one of the most lopsided trades in recent history.
He also has a total of 195 wins during his career and has posted a 3.38 lifetime ERA and a WAR of 46.8
Wainwright made his debut in 2005 and closed out both the NLCS and World Series in 2006, filling in for the injured Jason Isringhausen.
The signing of Wainwright means that the Cardinals will likely let left-hander Jose Quintana walk in free agency.
Wainwright’s postseason experience and competitive spirit make him an invaluable piece in the Cardinals starting rotation.
Though he’ll return without his longtime batterymate in Yadier Molina, Wainwright will have a chance to reach the 200-win mark for his career.
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