ST. LOUIS — It turns out 2022 wasn't a farewell season for Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright.
Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak announced on Wednesday that Wainwright had decided to return for another year in 2023.
2023 will be Wainwright's 18th in the major leagues with the Cardinals, after the team acquired him in a trade with the Braves in 2003.
"We're super excited he's coming back," Mozeliak said in his end of the year news conference.
Mozeliak said he and Wainwright started talking about another year in early September.
Wainwright said via Zoom that he plans for 2023 to be his final season, although he doesn't want the final season "hoopla" like we saw with Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina's last year in 2022.
Wainwright went 11-12 in 2022 with a 3.71 ERA and struggled down the stretch of the final month plus of the season.
"We really do feel like there's something left in the tank," Mozeliak said.
He did not discuss any imminent contract terms for Wainwright.
For his career, Wainwright is 195-117 with a 3.38 ERA in 457 games all with the Cardinals. The 41-year-old is a three-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner and won a World Series with the team in 2006. (Wainwright was injured for the team's title run in 2011.)
Mozeliak also announced on Wednesday that hitting coach Jeff Albert, pitching coach Mike Maddux and bullpen coach Brian Eversgerd will not return for 2023. Bench coach Skip Schumaker recently took a managerial position with the Miami Marlins, so that will be another coaching position the team will need to fill.