The St. Louis Cardinals signed pitcher Adam Wainwright to a $15 million, four-year contract on Thursday.
The Cardinals renewed Wainwright’s contract at $448,000 earlier this month, while continuing to negotiate on a long-term deal. The right-hander is the likely opening-day starter, although the team has not made an announcement.
The 26-year-old Wainwright went 14-12 with a 3.70 ERA in his first year in the rotation after serving as the closer in the 2006 World Series. His win total is the best in franchise history for a first-year starter, and his 2.71 ERA after the All-Star break was third-best in the National League.
The deal is heavily backloaded. It includes a $750,000 signing bonus with salaries of $500,000 this year, $2.6 million in 2009, $4.65 million in 2010 and 6.5 million in 2011. There are club options at $9 million in 2012 and $12 million in 2013.
Wainwright has a 2.08 ERA in three March appearances.
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.