The 2012 campaign for Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright had more twists and turns than the famous Lombard Street. One minute he was looking like the ace of 2009-2010 as he showed in August. The next he was struggling to get to the sixth inning and giving up home runs in droves.
Wainwright dominated August with a 5-1 record and a 2.75 ERA and helped the Cardinals get their stretch run toward the postseason started. You never would have known that his April was downright putrid when he went 0-3 in four starts and gave up five home runs in 19.1 innings.
But one thing the Cardinals and their fans know for sure about Wainwright (besides his practical joker side) is that he is ready to get after it in 2013. He’s a guy who has a tremendous amount of confidence and knows he is the ace of a pretty solid Cardinals staff.
Wainwright himself sees himself a Redbirds uniform in his future for a long time to come. Since he is under contract for 2013, the Cardinals should lock him up long term before he goes out and wins 20-plus games and his value skyrockets. Here are three reasons why the Cardinals should lock up Wainwright on a long-term deal.