Adam Wainwright is closely identified with the St. Louis Cardinals, but he could be wearing another uniform next season.
According to David O’Brien and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Atlanta Braves have interest in Wainwright in free agency. The 39-year-old would likely serve as a veteran anchor to the team’s young starting rotation.
Wainwright actually has a long history with the Braves. They drafted him in 2000, and he even pitched for current Atlanta manager Brian Snitker at Double-A. He was ultimately traded to the Cardinals in 2003 before he could debut with the Braves. Wainwright is also a Georgia native and still lives in the state, so playing in Atlanta would likely have some appeal to him and his family.
The veteran pitcher’s numbers had fallen off in recent seasons, but he enjoyed a rebound campaign in 2020. He posted a 3.15 ERA in ten starts for the Cardinals, in part because he cut his walks from 3.4 per nine innings in 2019 to 2.1 this season.
The Braves came within one game of the World Series, so Wainwright would definitely be joining a contender. Given the issues Atlanta had with starting pitching in that series, they could use him, too.
