Miles Mikolas had some very good years with the St. Louis Cardinals, but it always appeared that September was the end of the road.
After putting up a 4.84 ERA in 31 starts for the Cardinals last season, Mikolas hit free agency knowing that the team was entering a rebuild, and would likely try to restock its rotation with as many youngsters as possible. But the 37-year-old also wasn’t ready to throw in the towel completely.
According to a Wednesday report from Jake Mintz of Yahoo Sports, Mikolas agreed to sign with the Washington Nationals. It was not immediately clear whether the signing was a guaranteed major league deal or a minor-league pact with a non-roster invite to spring training.
UPDATE: Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Mikolas’ deal is a $2.25 million guarantee, plus incentives.
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Looking back on Mikolas’ Cardinals years
Sep 8, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas (39) throws against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
For the most part, Mikolas’ Cardinals tenure has to be considered a success. St. Louis took a 29-year-old with virtually no major league track record who had just returned from a three-year stint in Japan and turned him into a two-time All-Star. At times, he was even the ace of the staff.
However, after he made that second All-Star team for a 2022 Cardinals team that has since fallen completely into pieces, Mikolas crumbled. And unlike many struggling veteran pitchers, he was allowed to keep taking the ball every five days without fail.
Mikolas tossed 529 1/3 innings over the last three years, the 13th-most in all of Major League Baseball. Over that time frame, his 4.98 ERA ranked second-worst behind only Patrick Corbin (5.10) among pitchers with at least 500 innings.
All told, Mikolas finished his seven years with the Cardinals with a 68-69 record, a 4.16 ERA, and 11.3 bWAR. His best season was his first one back from Japan, when he racked up 5.1 bWAR and finished sixth in National League Cy Young voting.
As he looks to extend his career, Mikolas could be a good mentor for the young Nationals pitching staff to have in camp. But as much as the Cardinals valued his leadership, there were too many other arms that needed evaluation this year to keep handing the ball to an unproductive veteran.
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