ST. LOUIS — Adam Wainwright has officially retired from the St. Louis Cardinals.
The move became official on Wednesday according to the Cardinals' transaction log, showing Wainwright has retired.
He finished his 18-season career earlier this month with a celebration from the team, family and old teammates and friends Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols.
Now, the clock can begin on his potential induction to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Players are required to wait a minimum of five years before their eligibility for the Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot kicks in. That would make Wainwright eligible for the class of 2029.
The Hall of Fame already has him listed as a prospective candidate for 2029 alongside Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera.
Wainwright has an impressive resume for the Hall of Fame, a three-time All-Star and 2006 World Series winner. He finished second in the NL Cy Young Award voting in both 2010 and 2013. In his final season, he recorded his 200th win, becoming just the third Cardinals player ever to do so. He is a two-time 20-game winner, led the National League in victories in two other seasons and finished with 2,202 strikeouts.
Molina and Pujols both retired at the end of the 2022 MLB season and are prospective candidates for the 2028 Hall of Fame.
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