The St. Louis Cardinals are a young team looking to get even younger in the offseason. With veterans like Miles Mikolas on his way out, and Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, and potentially Willson Contreras being trade candidates, the Cardinals are looking to the future.
One of the main focal points of the future in St. Louis is top prospect JJ Wetherholt. He's been mashing in Triple-A and could be called up to the Major Leagues soon.
Once he is called up, his six years of control begin. But, for Redbird Rants writer Josh Jacobs, he wants the Cardinals to get ahead of Wetherholt's free agency, and is urging the Cardinals to sign him to a long-term deal before he's even played a game in the Majors.
Cardinals Should Sign Wetherholt to a Huge Contract.
Signing a player who's yet to make his mark in the Majors comes with a lot of risk, but equally as much reward. But for Jacobs, such a decision is one he'd back if he were in control.
"Extending a prospect who has never even played a game at the Major League level is quite the risk," Jacobs writes, "but if I were the St. Louis Cardinals, I would be exploring that right now with JJ Wetherholt."
It's an incredibly bold take, as Wetherholt hasn't touched the Majors yet. In such a scenario, if he struggles in the Majors, the massive contract extension would be a complete disaster and could set the team back significantly.
But there's a lot of upside as well. Corbin Carroll inked a huge deal early in his big league career, as did Roman Anthony earlier in the 2025 season. But both had already made their big league debuts.
Jacobs believes the Cardinals should offer such a deal, north of $100 million, which goes a few years into his free agency window. If he were to continue to hit as well as he's done in Triple-A, then a $100 million deal might be very reasonable for St. Louis.
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In 26 games in Triple-A Memphis, Wetherholt, the Cardinals' top prospect, is hitting .310 with a .403 on-base percentage, a .670 slugging percentage, and a remarkable 1.073 OPS.
In 100 at-bats, he has 31 hits, 25 runs scored, seven doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 17 RBIs, 15 walks, and 19 strikeouts. His offensive production has been nothing short of remarkable.
He'll either get the call to close out 2025 in the Majors or, most likely, suit up for St. Louis in 2026 after some changes are made in the offseason under new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom.
That change in front office leadership could be the thing that sparks such a wild extension for Wetherholt. Bloom could cement his mark on the franchise by offering such a deal to Wetherholt. But, even if he's interested, ownership would have to sign on.
While Wetherholt has been incredible in Triple-A, Major League pitching is a different beast, and he might not acclimate to the Majors. But if he does, then a long-term extension should be in the cards for the Cardinals.
Jacobs is urging the Cardinals to make such a decision before he's played in the Majors, and based on his play in Triple-A, it's hard to argue against the idea. While it's a huge risk, if it pans out, it'd be a massive coup for the Cardinals amid a time of transition in the organization.
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