On this date in 2003, the St. Louis Cardinals pulled off a franchise-altering trade with the Atlanta Braves, dealing outfielder J.D. Drew and catcher Eli Marrero in exchange for pitchers Jason Marquis, Ray King, and Adam Wainwright.
Nobody knew it at the time, but Wainwright, who was still a prospect, would become an icon in St. Louis.
The right-hander made his debut in 2005 and broke camp with the club in 2006.
All he did was step into the closer’s role at the tender age of 25 and close out the NLDS, NLCS, and World Series.
The Cardinals took to Twitter this morning to celebrate 19 years of Wainwright.
Cards Celebrate Waino
19 years later, Wainwright is still getting the job done.
After closing out the World Series in 2006, the Cardinals made him a starter.
The move turned out to be a good one for St. Louis.
The right-hander was an All-Star in 2010, 2013, and 2014 and also put together two 20-win seasons, even finishing in the top three for the National League Cy Young Award three times.
He was also a key piece on several great Cardinals teams, including the 2013 National League Championship team.
Now 41, Wainwright has battled through numerous injuries, including an elbow issue that looked to be career-threatening in 2018.
But the veteran ace bounced back and returned to form.
Over 17 seasons with the Cardinals, Wainwright has won 195 games and posted a career ERA of 3.38.
He has also been a standout in postseason play, posting a lifetime ERA of 2.83.
The Cardinals ace will gear up for one final season in 2023.
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