Adam Wainwright has 2012-13 Options Exercised by Cardinals

While a majority of the St. Louis Cardinals’ focus is centered on their current 2011 World Series run, the club used a sliver of their time to resolve an issue impacting their future.  The Cardinals announced today that they have decided to exercise Adam Wainwright’s options for the 2012 and 2013 season.  The right-hander is set to make $21 million over the next two years.

This is another in the long line of expected option decisions to take place in 2011, as, earlier in the year, the Cardinals said they would be picking up Wainwright’s.  These likely would have been no-brainers if Wainwright was healthy this year, but his serious arm injury put his future with the club in question for a brief period.

Wainwright missed the entire 2011 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery to repair ligament damage in his throwing elbow.  After rehabbing through the season, Wainwright is back to the point where he is basically full-go.  The former Cy Young winner is expected to have a routine offseason and should be ready to join the Cardinals next spring.

Apparently, Wainwright is so far along in his rehab process that he has volunteered to take the ball for St. Louis in a possible game seven.  With tongue-in-cheek, Wainwright told reporters that he’s informed the Cardinals that he has “got five innings for them in game seven”.

As much as they would love to use the right-hander, St. Louis and its fans will have to wait until 2012 for Wainwright’s return.

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