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Adam Wainwright's agent Steve Hammond met with St. Louis Cardinals brass to discuss a long-term contract extension. Hammond told reporters -- including Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch -- that he left the meeting with the sense that both sides have an interest and urgency in reaching an agreement.
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Hammond said he and Wainwright hope an agreement can be reached "before spring training ends." While he admitted that there is still work to do, Hammond added that the Cardinals "have communicated clearly that they want to keep Adam."
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Talks will continue over the next few days, though Hammond wasn't willing to discuss the details. He said he hopes there's momentum for a deal to be completed in the next week. The start of the regular season is less than two weeks away.
Goold notes that the sides took a break from negotiations earlier this spring, as the Cardinals were unwilling to meet the length of the contract Wainwright desired. He's reportedly seeking at least a five-year deal. As far as the average annual salary goes, the right-hander figures to command something in the range of $20 million per year.
Wainwright is set to enter the final year of his current contract, which will pay him $12 million in 2013. The 31-year-old owns a career ERA of 3.15 with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.02 over seven seasons in the majors.
