Grading the 4 biggest Cardinals offseason moves so far

Wainwright signs for a final season with the Cardinals

In 2003, the  Cardinals traded J.D. Drew and Eli Marrero to the Atlanta Braves for Jason Marquis, Ray King, and Double-A pitcher Adam Wainwright.

Who could have imagined the most significant impact of that trade would be Wainwright?

Wainwright made his major league debut in 2005 and gained legendary status in 2006, stepping up as closer, getting the final outs for the Cardinals in the  NLCS against the New York Mets and World Series against the Detroit Tigers.

Wainwright went on to have a fantastic career as a Cardinals starter going 195-117 in 390 starts. He holds the all-time battery record with Yadier Molina with 325 starts.

While Molina retired at the end of the 2022 season along with fellow Cardinals legend Albert Pujols, Wainwright decided to go for one more season.

Once Wainwright decided he had one more season left in the tank and a goal of ending things on a better note than the end of his 2022 season, the Cardinals were quick to get Wainwright locked up. He will get his final season with the Cardinals, who will give him a proper send-off and reward him for his legendary career with the Cardinals.

The Cardinals signed him to a one-year deal worth $17.5 million.

Re-signing Wainwright for a final season: A