The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of the most interesting teams in Major League Baseball this season. While they are rebuilding, they are also finding a way to contend.
One of their most impactful players this year has been rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt. He made the opening day roster and is already the frontrunner for the National League Rookie of the Year Award. He is also expected to be part of the Cardinals‘ core for a long time.
On Friday, the Cardinals ensured that he will be a part of that core. Jeff Passan of ESPN has the latest.
“Rookie standout JJ Wetherholt and the St. Louis Cardinals are in agreement on a long-term contract extension that will buy out multiple years of free agency, sources tell ESPN. Wetherholt, 23, has been tremendous and is the latest rookie to land a nine-figure contract,” Passan posted on X.
St. Louis Cardinals Reward JJ Wetherholt After Hot Start
Wetherholt is hitting .267/.362/.411 with 13 home runs, 36 RBI, a 3.9 WAR. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the deal is for eight years and $112.5 million and includes no options. The deal can also max out at $132 million.
This is an absolute steal for the Cardinals, and a solid contract for Wetherholt early in his career. Chaim Bloom has shown a lot of conviction early on in his tenure as president of baseball operations, and it’s clear that his goal is to prioritize the future.
Wetherholt is now guaranteed to be a part of that future unless something changes. The Cardinals clearly view him as the piece they want to build around over the next several years, and they picked the right one.
He and Jordan Walker have been leading this Cardinals club to new heights this season, and their success together so far has allowed the Cardinals to play much better than expected and fight their way into postseason contention.
Strangely, Wetherholt was left off the National League All-Star roster, but that clearly didn’t matter to Bloom, who has observed Wetherholt’s rapid rise to the major leagues and been a key component in his development as a young player.
Wetherholt has proven himself worthy of this extension, and he’ll likely be the face of the franchise for years to come. The Cardinals drafted him in 2024 with the seventh pick, and it certainly didn’t take long for him to earn his way to St. Louis.
St. Louis Cardinals Take First Step in Securing Future Core
This is the first step Bloom and the Cardinals have taken towards building their core for the future. The trade deadline will also be a good time for that, but Bloom has picked who he believes should be the face of the franchise to receive a massive contract extension.
Wetherholt joins Konnor Griffin and other rookies as the latest young player to be given an extension. Cardinals fans can breathe a sigh of relief now, as Wetherholt is in St. Louis to stay and will be wearing the birds on the bat for years to come.
Cardinals Announce Major JJ Wetherholt News Ahead of Braves Series