Cardinals make MLB’s first post-lockout signing by inking Drew VerHagen to two-year contract

The St. Louis Cardinals have made the first signing since Major League Baseball’s owner-imposed lockout ended on Thursday night, some 99 days after it was first installed. According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, the Cardinals have agreed to a two-year pact worth $5.5 million with right-handed pitcher Drew VerHagen.

VerHagen, 31 years old, spent the last two seasons with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league. He appeared 39 times with the Fighters, accumulating a 3.51 ERA and a 3.47 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

VerHagen does have extensive big-league experience. Prior to heading overseas, he had appeared in more than 120 big-league games as a member of the Detroit Tigers organization. He posted career marks of a 5.11 ERA (88 ERA+) and a 2.08 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 199 innings. His contributions, as estimated by Baseball Reference, were worth 1 Win Above Replacement.