Cardinals: 3 best moves of the offseason so far

2. Re-signing Adam Wainwright

Much like Molina, the Cardinals’ decision to let Adam Wainwright walk was a bit perplexing. Wainwright has been with the Cardinals organization since the 2005 season, and seeing him wear a different uniform would have been brutal for those in St. Louis to see.

After an injury-riddled 2018 campaign limited him to eight starts, Wainwright has been a solid arm in the starting rotation. Back in 2019, Wainwright posted a 4.19 ERA and 8.0 strikeouts per nine innings. In 2020, Wainwright actually led the league in complete games with two and posted a 3.15 ERA and 1.051 WHIP.

The Cardinals did feel confident about their chances to re-sign Wainwright but almost paid the consequences for waiting a bit too long. Last month, Wainwright reportedly received an offer from the San Diego Padres, who just acquired the likes of Yu Darvish, Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove to their starting rotation. Seeing the Padres were looking to go full super-team, the Cardinals agreed to terms with Wainwright on a one-year, $8 million contract.

Keeping Wainwright in the starting rotation is a great move by the Cardinals. But what ranks as the best move of their offseason? You have a good idea of what that is.