On Friday, the St. Louis Cardinals announced that they had reached an agreement with veteran right-hander Miles Mikolas on a two-year, $40 million contract extension.
Mikolas first joined the Cardinals in December of 2017 and quickly became a fixture in their rotation.
After a strong 2018 season, the team extended him through the 2023 season.
Injuries slowed him down in 2020 and 2021, but he returned to his 2018 form last season and became the Cardinals’ ace, earning an All-Star nod in July.
The Cardinals were in need of pitching help with Steven Matz being the only starter under contract for 2024.
Mikolas now joins Matz in that company.
He commented on the extension and expressed his gratitude for being able to pitch for the Cardinals.
“St. Louis is a place I want to be. Great team. Great organization. Great fans. Team wants to win. I want to win. That’s what I’m here to do. Hopefully, it happens.”
— Miles Mikolas to @Ben_Fred about talks on a contract extension. #stlcards https://t.co/mP6kKKVDeH
— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) March 24, 2023
Mikolas has been a steady presence in the Cardinals rotation since he joined the team and has started some big games.
He started Game 1 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves and Game 1 of the NLCS against the Washington Nationals in 2019, pitching admirably in both games.
He also started Game 2 of the Wild Card Series last October against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Recently, he pitched alongside Adam Wainwright in the World Baseball Classic for Team USA.
The 34-year-old will also be starting Opening Day for the Cardinals next week.
But he clearly enjoys pitching in St. Louis and in front of an emotionally charged fanbase, and also believes that the team has a chance to win a World Series title.
Mikolas won 12 games last season and posted a 3.29 ERA
NEXT: Cardinals Reveal Their 2023 Opening Day Starter
