Before the Cardinals consider a contract extension they’ve made an annual part of spring training, they first intend to do something they haven’t done in almost two decades.
General manager John Mozeliak signaled a shift in strategy for the team Sunday when he said the club intends to take pitchers Carlos Martinez and Michael Wacha all the way to arbitration hearings. Mozeliak said that was the position the team explained to each player’s agent, and the club intends to follow through even though there is a slim difference between the salaries the players requested and the ones offered by the Cardinals.