Sunday, March 10, 2013
Timeframe for Wainwright talks
By Jason Catania
The St. Louis Cardinals would like nothing better than to work out a long-term deal with ace right-hander Adam Wainwright, who is entering the final season of a six-year, $36 million contract.
The pitcher and the club are on good terms, and the latest, per Rick Hummel of the Post-Dispatch, is that the talks are ongoing. GM John Mozeliak said the matter ideally would be settled by Opening Day. Unlike the negotiations that took place two springs ago with Albert Pujols, though, these do not have a hard-and-fast deadline.
The 31-year-old Wainwright, owner of an 80-48 record with a 3.15 ERA for his career and a two-time Top 3 Cy Young finalist, will be looking for a big raise. Wainwright's reps are said to be seeking at least a five-year pact, likely something in the neighborhood of nine figures. For comparison, both Cole Hamels of the Phillies (six years, $144 million) and Matt Cain of the Giants (six years, $127.5 million) signed extensions last season, but both also are few years younger than Wainwright, and were even younger at the time of their deals.
