A day after the Cardinals introduced the new Gold Glover on their roster, the player who brought that luster to the infield the past two seasons found a new team to turn to, a division rival.
Hilo’s Kolten Wong agreed to terms on a multi-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, a source confirmed to the Post-Dispatch.
Wong, 30, became a free agent when the Cardinals declined his $12.5-million option for the 2021 season, a move the team has described as the “only lever they could pull” for financial flexibility. While both sides said the door was “ajar” for his return, the Cardinals did not actively pursue Wong through the winter — in part because they were trying to complete this week’s trade for third baseman Nolan Arenado.
The new contract is for two years and $18-million, The Athletic reported. That deal is pending a physical.
There is an option for a third year, according to reports.
The Cardinals’ first-round pick 2011, Wong debuted in 2013 and by 2018 had established himself as the best defensive second baseman in the National League. It took another year for the Gold Glove Award voters to catch up. Wong won his first Gold Glove award in 2019, and this past season, when the award was based entirely on advanced metrics, he was one of the best fielders in the NL and won a second consecutive Gold Glove.
He was in the running for the Platinum Glove given to the best fielder at any position and won by Arenado, for the fourth consecutive year.
While working with Jose Oquendo and the Cardinals to become an elite infielder, Wong also adjusted at the plate and earned a chance to be the Cardinals’ leadoff hitter in 2020. The past two seasons the Hawaii native has hit .279/.358/.396.
This winter, Wong fielded offers from multiple teams, and teams such as the Angels, the Red Sox, and Giants explored interest in him.