The 2023 MLB season hasn’t officially started, but the St. Louis Cardinals’ veteran pitcher Miles Mikolas can already consider it a success. On Friday, the Cardinals announced that Mikolas would get the nod as the team’s Opening Day starter while also giving the two-time All-Star a new extension.
Reportedly, the extension is for two years and comes with $40 million in new money for Mikolas. He is now under contract with the Cardinals for the next three years and will earn a total of $55.75 million during that time.
“Miles stands among the top pitchers in the game today and has continued to provide a steady presence for us both in the rotation and inside the clubhouse,” said Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak in a statement.
Mikolas had a stellar season in 2022, posting a 12-13 record with a 3.29 ERA in 33 games. He also had career-high 153 strikeouts while earning his second All-Star nod.
Before joining the Cardinals ahead of the 2018 season, Mikolas played with the San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers. He also had a brief stint with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
“It really is the perfect situation that I found here,” Mikolas explained said after signing a deal that will keep him in St. Louis until 2025.
