Carpenter hammers out new contract with Cards

~ The 2005 Cy Young winner agreed to a five-year, $65 million deal Monday.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Chris Carpenter and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed Monday to a five-year contract that guarantees the 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner about $65 million.

Carpenter, 31, had been signed through 2007 as part of an agreement that called for a $7 million salary next year. The Cardinals exercised his 2008 option at $9 million as part of the new agreement and added guaranteed years for 2009, 2010 and 2011 plus a club option for 2012. If the new option is exercised, the deal would be worth about $77 million.

"Chris has been a centerpiece in our team's success since the day he arrived," general manager Walt Jocketty said. "We are very happy to have Chris under contract for the next five years."

Carpenter was 15-8 with a 3.09 ERA last season, finishing third in the Cy Young balloting and helping the Cardinals win their first World Series in 24 years. He was 3-1 with a 2.78 ERA in five postseason starts, including the clincher in the division series against the Padres and eight shutout innings in Game 3 of the World Series against the Tigers.

In three seasons with the Cardinals, he's 51-18 with a 3.10 ERA in 93 starts and the Cardinals are 65-27, a winning percentage of .707, over that span. His 36 victories the last two seasons is tied for first in the major leagues with Jon Garland of the White Sox.

Last season, he led the NL with a 1.81 ERA at home with three shutouts.

The Cardinals signed Carpenter to a free-agent deal in 2003 even though he was recovering from shoulder surgery and missed that entire season. He rewarded them with a 15-win season in 2004 although a biceps injury knocked him out of the postseason.