St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright talks with fans during Day 2 of the St. Louis Cardinals Winter-Up in St. Louis on January 18, 2015. Warm-Up allows fans to get close up to their favorite players of the past, present and future. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
The St. Louis Cardinals were possibly interested in adding another starting pitcher to their already solid rotation. It looks like they are not in the running for former Missouri star Max Scherzer. He’s about ready to sign on for seven years with the Washington Nationals. If Adam Wainwright and Michael Wacha remain healthy for 2015, Scherzer would have been an expensive insurance policy.
Wainwright underwent elbow surgery and for those fans concerned, consider this. Wainwright, speaking at the Cardinals Winter Warm Up, told the media he started his offseason throwing program at the same time that he does every year. While he had to make minor adjustments int he second half of the season, throwing more cutters and curves, Wainwright says he will back to his full potential.
Wainwright also says he’s not ready to slow down or let up on the number of innings or starts he’ll make, but the coaches and management will look for ways to cut down on his workload. Wainwright, as noted on STLCardinals.com, has thrown 520 innings over the last two seasons, most by any pitcher in baseball.
Wainwright’s comments from the Winter Warm Up (:45)
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha talks with fans during Day 2 of the St. Louis Cardinals Winter-Up in St. Louis on January 18, 2015. Warm-Up allows fans to get close up to their favorite players of the past, present and future. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
The last time we saw Wacha, he served up the season ending homer in San Francisco. He contends he was healthy enough to pitch, but an MRI just yesterday confirmed his shoulder is back to 100%. Wacha was limited to 107 innings over 19 starts in 2014. His season then ended with Travis Ishikawa tagging him for a game-winning homer following the right-hander’s 20-day layoff. He too has no concerns about putting in a heavy number of innings. In fact, he says he wants to be the type of pitcher the club can rely on every fifth day. It’s a simple goal.
Free-agent pitcher Max Scherzer has agreed to a seven-year contract with the Washington Nationals. The 30-year old Scherzer is 91-50 with a 3.58 ERA in seven seasons with Arizona and Detroit. He won the 2013 American League Cy Young Award and has made the All-Star team in each of the past two seasons.
He was 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA in 2014, a year after going 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA and being voted the best pitcher in the American League.
Wacha’s thoughts on 2015 and his health (:40)
