Cardinals pitch in Mikolas with four-year contract

The St. Louis Cardinals announced Tuesday that they signed right-hander Miles Mikolas to a four-year contract extension. The extension is worth $68 million, multiple outlets reported.

"We are extremely pleased to have Miles under contract for the foreseeable future," Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr said in a statement. "Miles made great contributions to our team as an All-Star last season, and he quickly fit in with his teammates and our fans. We look forward to having Miles serve as a key member of our pitching staff for the next five years." The extension begins with the 2020 season and runs through 2023, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and MLB Network.

Mikolas, 30, had previously been announced as the Cardinals' Opening Day starter. Last season, he returned to the majors from Japan and became an All-Star and an anchor of the rotation. He shared the National League lead in wins and finished sixth in the Cy Young Award voting last season, going 18-4 with a 2.83 ERA and 146 strikeouts in 200 2/3 innings.

Mikolas was entering the final year of a two-year, $15.5 million contract that would have allowed him to become a free agent at the end of the season. Mikolas pitched with the San Diego Padres (2012-13) and Texas Rangers (2014) before spending three seasons with the Yomiuri Giants (2015-17).