ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals have officially locked up the second part of their franchise-great battery for 2022.
The team and starting pitcher Adam Wainwright announced Friday they had agreed on a new, 1-year contract for the 2022 season. Wainwright did not definitively say 2022 would be he last season, and that he would have those conversations at a later time.
It'll be Wainwright's 18th year in the Cardinals' organization. He was traded to St. Louis from the Atlanta Braves in December 2003. 2022 will be his 17th year in the Majors for the Cardinals.
For his career, Wainwright is 184 and 105 with a 3.35 ERA and 2,004 strikeouts. He's third all-time in wins as a Cardinal and second in strikeouts behind Bob Gibson.
In his age 39-40 season, Wainwright has been one of the best pitchers in baseball, going 17-7 in the regular season with a 3.05 ERA and leading the Cardinals to the National League Wild Card game. Wainwright has been announced to start the game against either the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Francisco Giants.
Wainwright's long-time catcher, Yadier Molina also recently re-signed for 2022, saying it will be his last year before retirement.
Wainwright, 40, had previously announced after talking with his family, they had agreed he should pitch another year in 2022. Wainwright announced he was opting to play another year in a video released on his charity's website, bigleagueimpact.org.
In the video, Wainwright sat with his four daughters while his wife recorded him and went around asking each of them if he should "play". (He also "asked" his son Caleb, who was presumably in the other room at the time.) They all responded, "play".
"Six for six. I guess we should play," Wainwright said.