Adam Wainwright contract extension talks could happen during spring training

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright is entering the final year of his contract, but the team could potentially extend their pact.

General manager John Mozeliak recently stated that the team will not discuss negotiations publicly, but Wainwright's agent Steve Hammond told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he expects the two sides to discuss an extension during spring training.

Wainwright and the Cardinals agreed to six-year, $36 million extension back in March of 2008, but the price of all baseball players, especially pitching, has risen dramatically since then. Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed pitcher Zack Greinke to the richest contract in history for a right-handed pitcher, at six-years, $147 million.

Wainwright missed all of 2011 recovering from elbow surgery, bouncing back to form last season with a 3.94 ERA in 198⅔ innings pitched. Although Wainwright had a higher ERA last season than in previous years, his strikeout-to-walk numbers remained constant, making him a strong bet to return to form.