St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals sign RHP Mikolas to $15.5M deal

Published Dec. 5, 2017 3:03 p.m. ET

ST. LOUIS -- Right-hander Miles Mikolas is returning from Japan, agreeing to a two-year, $15.5 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The 29-year-old's agreement was announced Tuesday. He bolsters a Cardinals rotation that could lose Lance Lynn, who became a free agent.

Mikolas spent the last three seasons with the Central League's Yomiuri Giants, going 31-13 with a 2.18 ERA in 62 starts. He was 14-8 this year, setting career highs for innings (188) and strikeouts (187) while walking 23.

Selected in the seventh round of the 2009 amateur draft by San Diego, he was 4-6 with a 5.32 ERA in 37 games for the Padres and Texas from 2012-14. He was 2-5 with a 6.44 ERA for the Rangers in 2014, making 10 starts.