St. Louis Cardinals rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt signed an eight-year, $112.5 million contract extension, which kicks in next year. With incentives, the deal could total $132 million.
Jordan Walker received a raise too.
Walker’s increase in pay will likely wait until after the season — or until after a Dec. 1 lockout if owners and players have not reached a new collective bargaining agreement — but it’s coming.
Wetherholt’s new deal paves the way for Walker to make at least that much, depending on the length of a new deal. He will make considerably more if he completes a second half of the season that compares to the first.
The All-Star right fielder reached the break with 22 home runs and a National League-leading 74 RBIs. His .294 batting average, 105 hits, and 32 walks mean he is consistently on base. Walker also has a team-leading 13 stolen bases and has developed one of the most feared defensive arms of all MLB right fielders.
According to Spotrac.com, Walker’s 2026 compensation is $799,400. He’s obviously worth a lot more than that, especially since Wetherholt will be raking in an average of $14.1 million per year.
Spotrac also lists the top 10 highest-paid right fielders in baseball as follows:
Juan Soto, $51 million; Aaron Judge, $40M; Mike Trout, $35.6M; Fernando Tatis Jr., $24.3M; Teoscar Hernandez, $22M; Nick Castellanos, $20M; Starling Marte, $19.5M; Kyle Tucker, $16.5M; Tyler O’Neill, $16.5M; Corbin Carroll, $13.9M.
If I’m Walker’s agent, I’m seeking at least $22 million per season for my client. And the deal would have to be for at least eight years. Thank you, JJ.
My guess is that pitcher Dustin May is traded by the Aug. 3 deadline, and his 2027 mutual option — worth $20 million if exercised by both sides — would follow him to his new team. May has a mutual option clause, meaning both he and the team would have to exercise it, and May could decline it to test free agency.
If May is gone, there is more money available for Walker while the Cardinals continue rebuilding.
Granted, he could return to mediocrity, but I doubt it. If he closes this season strong and adds a productive 2027, Walker could command as much as $30 million annually.
It would be better to sign him to an extension now than wait until 2028 and pay him considerably more.
Wetherholt’s deal and a pending extension for Walker leave me concerned. Shortstop Masyn Winn could be the odd man out and left without a ticket on the money train.
Winn, like Jordan, is making $799,400. He won a Gold Glove for outstanding defense in 2025 and has quickly become a favorite of Cardinals fans.
His .243 batting average is the lowest since his first 37 games in 2023, with just four home runs and 37 RBIs.
His defense has also been a bit suspect this year. His throwing error surrendered a ninth-inning run to the Atlanta Braves last Sunday in a 4-3 Cardinals’ loss. He has made eight errors this season, compared to three in 2025. (Remember that he made 18 in 2024.)
Winn and Wetherholt make a dandy double-play combination, with Winn taking part in an NL-leading 57 double plays this year.
Winn’s future is bright but the pay level for a great shortstop is higher than a right fielder or second baseman. St. Louis will have to make a financial decision if Walker receives a deal that tops Wetherholt’s.
We don’t know where that will leave Winn.
For now, the Cardinals have been a pleasant surprise in 2026. It’s never too soon to talk about money, but for now I’m going to concentrate on baseball.
The Reid Roundup
I’m thrilled for Jordan Walker but worried that he participated in Monday’s All-Star Home Run Derby. Players have plummeted offensively after the derby… Victor Scott II was hitting .190 when he was sent down to Triple-A Memphis and has not improved. In 90 at-bats, Scott is hitting just .200 with no home runs and eight RBIs…Nolan Gorman is doing even worse at Memphis. Heralded as a star of tomorrow for several seasons, Gorman was sent down last month and he’s hitting a woeful .121, with three home runs and six RBIs.