Contract Details
Signed a one-year, $438,000 contract on March 4, 2008.

2007: $410,000

Became a Cardinal
Acquired from the Atlanta Braves with pitchers Ray King and Jason Marquis in exchange for outfielders J.D. Drew and Eli Marrero on December 13, 2003.

2008 Season
Wainwright missed 11 weeks due to a sprained middle finger, after getting off to a good start on the season with a record of 4-1 and a 2.91 ERA before landing on the DL. Wainwright finished the season with a 11-3 record with a 3.20 ERA in 20 starts with St. Louis. Wainwright made a career high 32 starts for the Cardinals in 2007, one can only imagined what the Cardinals 2008 season would have looked like with a healthy Wainwright all season and if he had been pitching every fifth day, would that had impacted the Cardinals not to make a major deal at the trade deadline.

2007 Season
Wainwright finished the season with a team high 14 wins. In 32 starts he went 14-12 with a 3.70 ERA, pitching a career-high 202 innings.

Career Notes
Wainwrights .786 won-loss percentage in 2008, led the National League.

Wainwright spent the entire 2006 season pitching out of the Cardinals bullpen. He became the Cardinals closer in September when Jason Isrinhausen went on the disabled list. In 61 games, Wainright posted a 3.12 ERA, allowing 64 hits, striking out 72 and walking 22 in 75 innings. Opponents hit .230 against him.

He continued to be the Cardinals closer in the post-season where he closed out each of the Cardinals three clinching games. He picked up four saves and was unscored upon in nine games. He allowed seven hits, struck out 15 and walked only two in 9.2 innings.

The Braves gave Wainwright a $1,250,000 signing bonus as the 29th overall pick in the June, 2000 First-Year Player Draft. Recognized as the Braves top prospect in 2002, he also earned a roster spot in the MLB Future's game that season in Milwaukee. He made only 12 starts for Triple-A Memphis in 2004 before being shut down for the season with an elbow strain. He did comeback and pitch 10 innings in the Arizona Fall League, however.

Wainwright made 29 starts for Triple-A Memphis in 2005, going 10-10 with a 4.40 ERA. He was called up to St. Louis in September and made two relief appearances.

Player Awards
Birdhouse Top 40 Prospect 2006: #2

Contract Info: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Photo: MLB Photos