Adam Wainwright wants to return to St. Loui but Cardinals want him back


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 19-10-2018 14:54 IST | Created: 19-10-2018 06:25 IST
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Adam Wainwright wants to return to St. Louis, and the Cardinals want him back.

But first, the 37-year-old pitcher will have to wait.

A clause in baseball's labour contract means that Wainwright will have to become a free agent before he can re-sign with the Cardinals. The veteran right-hander is coming off a five-year, $97.5 million deal, and labour rules stipulate that his guaranteed salary cannot drop by more than 20 per cent if he stays on the roster continuously.

The Cardinals announced Oct. 11 that they would re-sign Wainwright. Terms of the agreement were not released, but the deal reportedly pays less than the $15.6 million that would need to be met to abide by the labour clause.

Wainwright was 2-4 with a 4.46 ERA in eight starts in 2018, missing much of the year due to elbow and hamstring ailments. He is fifth on the Cardinals' all-time list in victories (148) and second in strikeouts (1,623). The franchise sees him as a valuable mentor for younger pitchers such as Jack Flaherty and Luke Weaver.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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