Wainwright open to Morton-type deal amid uncertainty with Cardinals
Free-agent right-hander Adam Wainwright is looking forward to playing in his 16th MLB season in 2021 but is uncertain about where he'll wind up.
He and longtime St. Louis Cardinals batterymate Yadier Molina are on the open market, and Wainwright isn't sure he'll be given the opportunity to return.
"They're going to put a winning team on the field," Wainwright said, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN. "It's going to be interesting to see what they do, though. Yadier is a free agent, too. We just don't know what they're going to be offering - or if they will offer."
Wainwright, 36, has spent his entire big-league career with the Cardinals after being acquired from the Atlanta Braves as a prospect in the J.D. Drew trade. The Braves were previously reported as being interested in signing the veteran hurler, but recently inked Charlie Morton to a one-year, $15-million deal to shore up the rotation.
The three-time All-Star said he'd be willing to accept a deal similar to Morton's, according to Rogers.
Even if the Cardinals don't try to bring him back into the fold, he says there are no hard feelings.
"Every player has an expiration date," Wainwright said. "It's just the nature of the game. You will never hear me say a bad word about the city of St. Louis or the Cardinals organization. They've done so much for me. They're amazing people from top to bottom. I've been so blessed."
Over 15 seasons, Wainwright has finished in the top three in NL Cy Young voting on four different occasions. He is 167-98 with a 3.38 ERA and 1.23 WHIP over 2,169 1/3 innings and posted a 3.15 ERA over 10 starts in 2020.