Cardinals will exercise Jaime Garcia's option

Jaime Garcia will be pitching for the Cardinals in 2016. St. Louis told Garcia's representatives they plan to exercise his $11 million option for 2016, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

If the Cardinals opted to decline the option, Garcia would have received a $500,000 buyout.

Since he opened the 2015 season on the disabled list and has been plagued by injuries throughout the course of his career, Garcia was not guaranteed to have his option picked up. Strauss notes as a result of "obsessive tendencies" and "somewhat unusual injuries," Garcia might be "the game's most gifted hypochondriac."

After Adam Wainwright was lost in April, Garcia pitched well and became a consistent member of the club's starting rotation. Over 129.2 innings in 2015, Garcia pitched to a 2.43 ERA and 3.00 FIP while winning ten contests.

When Garcia was on the mound, the Cardinals' offense did not have a notable amount of success. Strauss points out the Cardinals were outscored 24-0 in the six games Garcia lost.

Garcia signed a four-year, $26 million deal, which bought out multiple arbitration years. He only made 56 starts over the first few years of the contract, which includes the club option for 2016 and another option for 2017.

Top pitching prospect Alex Reyes is expected to reach the majors next season and the Cardinals appear to have their rotation set, with Lance Lynn, Carlos Martinez, Wainwright, Garcia and Michael Wacha forming the team's starting five.

If Garcia has success in 2016, the Cardinals can exercise his option for 2017, which is worth close to $12 million. If he struggles or cannot remain healthy, Garcia will receive a $500,000 buyout.