Rookie JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals agree to 8-year deal - ESPN

Infielder JJ Wetherholt and the St. Louis Cardinals are in agreement on an eight-year, $112.5 million contract extension, sources told ESPN, locking up the National League Rookie of the Year favorite with one of the largest guarantees in franchise history.

The Cardinals announced the eight-year extension on Friday but didn't reveal financial terms.

Wetherholt, the Cardinals' first-round pick in 2024, blitzed through their farm system, made the Opening Day roster this season and has been one of the most productive players in baseball this season. The left-handed-hitting 23-year-old, who has spent most of his time at second base but also can play shortstop, ranks eighth among all position players in FanGraphs wins above replacement.

While Wetherholt and the Cardinals engaged in extension discussions during spring training, they were unable to strike a deal amid a deluge agreed to by other young middle infielders. Rookies Kevin McGonigle, Konnor Griffin, Colt Emerson and Cooper Pratt, all shortstops, signed extensions, offering a pathway for Wetherholt to follow.

Because Wetherholt went to college, unlike his four contemporaries, he will not reach free agency until he's 32 years old. Like with Detroit's McGonigle deal (eight years, $150 million, free agent at 30) and Pittsburgh's Griffin pact (nine years, $140 million, free agent at 28), there are no club options in Wetherholt's contract, which will begin in 2027, run through 2034 and contains performance bonuses that can increase the total value to $132 million. Emerson's eight-year, $95 million guarantee with Seattle has one club option and Pratt's eight-year, $50.75 million agreement gives Milwaukee two options.

The signing of Wetherholt is the latest sign that St.