12/04/2006 5:46 PM ET

Cards to keep Carpenter through 2011

Club locks in ace with five-year extension, option for 2012

By Matthew Leach / MLB.com

 

 

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- No team in baseball will sign a better pitcher at this week's Winter Meetings than the Cardinals signed on Monday. St. Louis announced a contract extension with ace Chris Carpenter that will keep the right-hander around through at least 2011.

 

Carpenter had been under contract through 2007, with a club option for 2008. The new deal guarantees all of his performance incentives in 2007, exercises his option for 2008 and secures 2009, 2010 and 2011 as well. The deal is reportedly worth $65 million in guarantees, and could go to $77 million if the 2012 option kicks in.

 

"It's a nice feeling at any time when you have security in your job," Carpenter said. "Me and my family love it here. We've enjoyed the last three years, and we're looking forward to five more great years. It's a good feeling to know that you have people that believe in you that much to invest what they've invested in me to have me around."

 

Carpenter, 31, went 15-8 with a 3.09 ERA for St. Louis in 2006, finishing third in the Cy Young balloting. He won the award in 2005 after posting 21 wins.

 

Over three years as a Cardinal, Carpenter is 51-18 with a 3.10 ERA, 13 complete games, seven shutouts and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of better than 4:1. He's a two-time All-Star who is 4-1 with a 2.53 ERA in eight career postseason starts.

 

In a market that has gone on tilt for pitchers, Carpenter's signing actually may represent a relative bargain. Astros ace Roy Oswalt recently re-upped for five years and $73 million, while reports indicate that A's lefty Barry Zito may weigh six-year offers before the winter is out.

 

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/NASApp/ml...sp&c_id=stl

1 down, 1 to go. This is awesome.

1 down, 1 to go. This is awesome.

haha, yes.

>this is a very good move for the cards, for obvious reasons.

Holy s***, that's cheap.

 

The Cards now have 2 of the best bargains in the majors.

Holy s***, that's cheap.

 

The Cards now have 2 of the best bargains in the majors.

5/65, that is cheap, 13 mil. javy is making 12. whos the other bargain? im guessing pujols, he makes 14 right?

QUOTE(Melissa1334 @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 05:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

haha, yes.

>this is a very good move for the cards, for obvious reasons.

 

Oh, wait. I may have to correct myself. Aren't both Suppand AND Mulder free agents?

Oh, wait. I may have to correct myself. Aren't both Suppand AND Mulder free agents?

Yes. Their pitching staff is currently Carpenter, Kip Wells, and presumably Reyes and Wainright until they sign someone else.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 07:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes. Their pitching staff is currently Carpenter, Kip Wells, and presumably Reyes and Wainright until they sign someone else.

 

What about Weaver? Ugh, I'm a Cardinals fan, and I don't even know this stuff. I gotta start paying more attention.

What about Weaver? Ugh, I'm a Cardinals fan, and I don't even know this stuff. I gotta start paying more attention.

Last year to start the season Weaver signed a 1 year deal with the Halos, who cut him. He then signed a small contract to finish the year with the Cardinals after Mulder went down. So he's currently a FA, but I think he's out of his mind if he doesn't sign a 1-2 year deal with the Cardinals to try to ressurect his career in a place where he's had success already.

5/65, that is cheap, 13 mil. javy is making 12. whos the other bargain? im guessing pujols, he makes 14 right?

Yup, AP makes something like $14 mil. Almost funny at this point. Best player in the bigs gets $14 mil. Oops.

 

Still, there's a point where the $ don't matter except in terms of silly vanity. Hopefully, Albert's passed that point. If you had to choose between being Ruth or Carnegie, who would you choose? I'd take Ruth in a heartbeat.

Yup, AP makes something like $14 mil. Almost funny at this point. Best player in the bigs gets $14 mil. Oops.

 

Still, there's a point where the $ don't matter except in terms of silly vanity. Hopefully, Albert's passed that point. If you had to choose between being Ruth or Carnegie, who would you choose? I'd take Ruth in a heartbeat.

 

You mean a choice between drinking/eating yourself to death or giving literally billions of dollars back to the rest of the world?

 

Give me Carnegie anytime.

You mean a choice between drinking/eating yourself to death or giving literally billions of dollars back to the rest of the world?

 

Give me Carnegie anytime.

 

But could Carnegie hit a curveball? Methinks not.