Updated at 12:40 p.m. with quotes from Mozeliak, Matheny and DeWitt.
Calling continuity important to a winning baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals have announced contract extensions for the teams' manager and general manager.
GM John Mozeliak will remain in that role until 2016. The team also picked up the 2014 option for manager Mike Matheny, who is in his second season. Terms of the deals were not disclosed.
"We have total alignment on our vision for this organization, and that is to compete year-in and year-out at the major-league level," Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said in announcing the extensions.
Both Matheny and Mozeliak had a year left on their current contracts, but DeWitt says it was important to solidify their positions with the team - hence the timing of the announcement.
Matheny called that a great compliment.
"When Mo [Mozeliak] approached me and told me they were picking up the option, I had to shake my head a couple of times," Matheny said. "I felt like I still had a lot to do and a long way to go, and I still feel that way."
Matheny praised his general manager, saying Mozeliak had made all the moves needed to ensure a winning tradition. Mozeliak was equally effusive.
"He did an amazing job, especially given the shoes he had to fill and the responsibilities that came with that job," Mozeliak said. " I believe his future is very bright."
Mozeliak did not rule out remaining with the team beyond 2016, but said in addition to building talent on the field, he's developing lower-ranking executives to have a succession plan in place for his office.
