​PHILADELPHIA — Despite not earning an All-Star berth, St. Louis Cardinals rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt is enjoying what could be the most electric weekend of any player in the organization this season. On Friday, July 10, Wetherholt agreed to a groundbreaking eight-year contract extension worth $112.5 million, a person familiar with the negotiations told USA TODAY Sports. The individual requested anonymity because the Cardinals had not yet announced the deal.
This extension stands as the largest guaranteed contract handed to a Cardinals player since Paul Goldschmidt’s five-year, $130 million pact in 2019. Wetherholt’s agreement places him among a notable cohort of young stars who have inked long-term contracts in the same year, including Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle (eight years, $150 million), Pittsburgh’s Konnor Griffin (eight years, $140 million), Seattle’s Colt Emerson (eight years, $95 million), and Milwaukee’s Cooper Pratt (eight years, $50.75 million). The Chicago Cubs also added a major extension this season, with center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong signing six years for $115 million.
Wetherholt, the Cardinals’ first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, has delivered a strong first full season in the big leagues. He’s hitting .267 with 13 homers and 36 RBIs, posting a .773 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. The 23-year-old has been lauded for his defensive prowess, ranking as the top defensive second baseman in baseball this season by several metrics. He leads the majors with 249 assists and is second with 16 outs above average, underscoring his well-rounded impact in the field. Offensively, he’s among the leaders in rookie metrics, including WAR (3.8), runs (56), and times on base (140). Only a few players across the National League have posted higher WAR totals this season, including Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (5.6), Miami’s shortstop Otto Lopez (4.6), and Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages (4.2).
Wetherholt’s production extends beyond the stat sheet. He has 39 leadoff hits this season, including four homers, which is the second-most in the league behind Washington’s James Wood (54). He also holds the distinction of setting a modern-era significance for the Cardinals, as he leads the franchise’s rookies in homers and stolen bases this season combined, aiming to become the first Cardinals rookie to reach 20 homers and 20 stolen bases in a single campaign since the team’s improved-era era of speed and power. In doing so, he would join a select group of rookies who have achieved that 20-20 milestone, a feat that would mark a historic entry in Cardinals lore.
The extension marks a milestone as well insofar as it represents the first player signed to a multi-year deal since Chaim Bloom took over as president of baseball operations in October 2025. It signals the Cardinals’ intent to capitalize on Wetherholt’s breakout potential and to build around a young nucleus that includes him as a core component for years to come.
Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale. This report originated from USA TODAY, detailing the St. Louis Cardinals’ decision to secure rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt with a substantial eight-year extension, a move that underscores both his current impact and his projected trajectory within the franchise.