Cardinals sign veteran reliever VerHagen to 2-year contract
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Right-hander Drew VerHagen and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to a $5.5 million, two-year contract on Friday, one day after Major League Baseball and its players' union agreed on a collective bargaining agreement to end a lockout.
VerHagen gets $2.5 million this season and $3 million in 2023.
He could earn $500,000 in performance bonuses for starts, $125,000 each for his first four. VerHagen also could earn $500,000 for games pitchers: $125,000 apiece for 25, 25, 45 and 55.
VerHagen cannot be assigned to the minor leagues without his consent and will become a free agent at the end of the contract.
He was a fourth-round pick of the Tigers in 2012 who went 10-10 over parts of six seasons in Detroit. He appeared in 127 games, starting eight of them, and will compete for a spot in the Cardinals bullpen during spring camp.
The 31-year-old spent the past two seasons with the Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan's Pacific League, going 13-14 with a 3.49 ERA in 39 games.
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