Adam Wainwright's Cy Young Finish All but Guarantees 2012, 2013 Options

by Josh Alper

Filed under: Cardinals, NL Central, MLB Awards

Adam Wainwright might not have picked up a single first-place vote for the NL Cy Young Award, but things still worked out pretty well for the Cardinals starter.

Wainwright finished second, a spot that makes him awfully likely to wind up making $21 million over the 2012 and 2013 seasons. By virtue of finishing in the top five in the Cy Young balloting, Wainwright needs to simply avoid finishing the 2011 season on the disabled list to guarantee his options for 2012 and 2013. What's more, if he should find a way to win the award next season, he'd be in line for an extra $1 million in 2012.

That's good news for the player and for the team. The Cardinals not only hold onto Wainwright, but they have a good idea of what they'll be paying for a valuable pitcher when they start dealing with other areas that require long-term planning this offseason. They can still pick up the option if Wainwright does wind up on the disabled list, something that seems likely barring a horrible turn of health for Wainwright.

 

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