Cardinals and Craig agree to long-term deal

The St. Louis Cardinals and first baseman/outfielder Allen Craig have agreed to a five-year contract extension, the deal includes an option for a sixth year for the 2018 season. The deal will also wipe out Craig's arbitration years, which his first arbitration year wasn't until next offseason. Craig's new deal is worth $31 million. He'll make $1.75 million for the 2013 season, $2.75 million in 2014, $5.5 million in 2015, $9 million in 2016, and $11 million in 2017. The club option for the 2018 season is worth, $13 million and it comes with a $1 million buyout. So, the total deal could end up being worth a total of $43 million.

Craig was drafted by the Cardinals in the 2006 MLB draft, he was picked in the eighth round, and was pick no.256 overall. He played college baseball at the University of California, Berkeley. Craig showed power at every level in the minors, and would make the Cardinals opening day roster for the 2010 season. Craig made his MLB debut on April 8, 2010 against the Cincinnati Reds. He would hit his first MLB career home run on July 19, 2010 off of the Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick.

He also helped the Cardinals win the 2011 World Series over the Texas Rangers. In games one and two Craig ended up getting the game winning rbi, that gave the Cardinals both leads and would win by Craig's rbi in both game, and both came as a pinch hitter. Then in game 7 of the World Series, Craig hit a home run that also ended up being the game winning rbi. The three game winning rbi's by Craig tied a World Series record held by both Hank Greenberg and Kiki Cuyler, who also had three game winning rbi's in World Series play. Craig also caught the last out of the 2011 World Series, he would later give the ball to Tony La Russa, after hearing that La Russa was retiring and that La Russa wanted the ball. He also felt that La Russa deserved the ball.

So far for Craig's three seasons in the MLB his career stats are: batting avarage .300, 235 hits, 37 rbi's, 150 rbi's, 7 stolen bases, 783 at bats, and has played in 238 games. In 2012, Craig was a full-time starter in the Cardinals line up, he played 119 games and hit 307 with 22 home runs and 92 rbi's. It's a nice deal for Craig, and locks up one of the Cardinals core players. Now the Cardinals need to get starting pitcher Adam Wainwright signed to a long-term deal.