The St. Louis Cardinals dove headfirst into a rebuild during the offseason. Sometimes, rebuilds are very scary. A lot of teams will mess them up early on. But the Cardinals haven’t done that. In fact, their rebuild is off to a very good start.
The Cardinals have a talented young core at the big league level already. They have a lot of young talent that’s seemingly one step away from the big leagues. They also have even younger talent that will be ready to take over in the next five years. The farm system is deep, but it’s also very talented at the top.
In fact, one of the Cardinals’ top prospects is off to such a hot start that he could join the trend of top prospects who have signed big contract extensions this year.
CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa recently listed Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt as one of the top youngsters next in line to sign a contract extension.
JJ Wetherholt could be next up to sign a contract extension
Apr 15, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) knocks down a single hit by Cleveland Guardians third baseman Daniel Schneemann (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. Players and coaches are wearing number 42 in recognition of Jackie Robinson Day. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
“Like McGonigle, Wetherholt won a spot on the Opening Day roster and has more than lived up to the hype that comes with being one of the game’s best prospects,” Axisa wrote. “He’s reached base in 10 of his 11 games so far and already has a walk-off home run to his credit. His .380 on-base percentage is top five among qualified rookies. Wetherholt is a shortstop playing second base in deference to Gold Glover Masyn Winn, though he’s a strong defender himself. At this point, there’s no reason for Wetherholt and his camp to ask for less than Griffin’s $140 million extension.”
Earlier in the year, Cooper Pratt signed a big contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. Konnor Griffin signed a big deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Most recently, Kevin McGonigle signed a big extension with the Detroit Tigers.
Wetherholt is a true five-tool prospect who’s played even better defense than anybody seemingly imagined. He’s been one of the best defensive second basemen in the game.
Wetherholt has all the potential in the world. He’s likely going to be a star for many years in St. Louis, so signing him to an eight or nine-year contract extension would be worth the gamble. It would buy out a few free agency years without breaking the bank, assuming the deal is worth around McGonigle’s $150 million deal.
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