​St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt has a total contract package valued at $112.5 million over eight years, beginning next year, with $20 million tied to escalators based on MVP voting and All-Star selections. The contract includes a $2 million signing bonus payable on November 15, as detailed in the agreement obtained by the Associated Press on Friday.
The deal schedules salaries of $2.5 million for the upcoming season, followed by $4 million in 2028, $7.5 million in 2029, $12.5 million in 2030, $17 million in 2031, $20 million in 2032, $22 million in 2033, and $25 million in 2034. Escalator provisions begin in 2031, allowing Wetherholt to increase his salaries by up to $5 million in 2032 and by $7.5 million in each of the following two seasons.
Specific performance-based boosts are outlined: a $5 million increase in all subsequent seasons for winning an MVP award, and a $2.5 million increase for finishing second through fifth in MVP voting. A $500,000 rise would apply in the following season if he finishes sixth through 10th, and a $250,000 raise the next season if he earns an All-Star selection. Additionally, he would receive a $2 million assignment bonus if he is traded.
Wetherholt was selected seventh overall in the 2024 amateur draft and signed for a $6.9 million bonus. He made the Cardinals’ opening-day roster this season and hit a homer against Tampa Bay in his debut on March 26. Currently, he is earning the $780,000 major league minimum for this year under a contract that includes a $63,600 salary while he remains in the minor leagues.