The dollar amount is eye-catching. The timing is even more significant.By signing rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt to an eight-year, $112.5 million contract extension, the St. Louis Cardinals didn't just lock up one of baseball's brightest young stars. They sent a message about the future of the franchise.St. Louis has long been one of Major League Baseball's most patient organizations when it comes to handing out long-term contracts to young players. That's why Friday's announcement stands out. According to The Athletic's Katie Woo, it's the Cardinals' largest pre-arbitration extension since Albert Pujols signed his historic seven-year, $100 million deal in 2004.No one is suggesting Wetherholt will become the next Pujols. Few players in baseball history have reached that level. But the conf