Cardinals Sign Miles Mikolas

On Tuesday morning, the St. Louis Cardinals signed 29-year-old starting pitcher Miles Mikolas to a two-year contract, worth $15.5 million. Who is Mikolas? Fans might be wondering. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2009, in round seven of the MLB draft. In 2012, the Padres called him straight-up from Double-A. He only spent two seasons with the Padres, before being designated for assignment in November 2013. The Pittsburgh Pirates picked up Mikolas in a trade and then traded him to the Texas Rangers.

In 2014, he started 10 games for the Texas Rangers. He went 2-5 with 38 strikeouts, 18 walks, 57.1 innings, and an era of 6.44. He ended up being released by the Rangers in November 2014.

After being released by the Rangers, he found his way to Japan. The Yomiuri Giants signed him to a one-year contract, worth $700,000. He started 21 games, going 13-3 with 107 strikeouts, 23 walks, 145 innings, and an era of 1.92. He did well enough for the Giants to keep him beyond 2015. He made 14 starts in 2016, and went 4-2 with an era of 2.45. Last season in 2017, he made a career high 27 starts. He went 14-8, 187 strikeouts, 23 walks, 188 innings, and an era of 2.25.

Mikolas has three seasons in the MLB, his career stats are: 4 wins - 6 losses, 5.32 era, 37 games, 10 starts, 62 strikeouts, 34 walks, 91.1 innings, and a whip of 1.42.

In his career in Japan, his career stats are: 31 wins - 13 losses, 2.18 era, 62 starts, 378 strikeouts, 69 walks, and 424.2 innings.

It seems like pitchers who don't do that well in the MLB tend to go to Japan and figure out how to pitch. Will Mikolas become one of those? A few pitchers who went to Japan and became better were Colby Lewis, Ryan Voglesong, and Tony Barnette. Mikolas is an interesting pickup to the Cardinals. There had been a few other teams interested in Mikolas. He also knows Cardinals pitching coach Mike Maddux from their days with the Texas Rangers.

Will Mikolas start? It seems like the could be the Cardinals fifth starter. Other teams could try to bring in pitchers from Japan like Mikolas, just to get pitching.

Mikolas has an interesting nickname, which is "Lizard King".