Considering his murky contract status beyond 2017, there’s an outside possibility catcher Yadier Molina is entering his final season with the Cardinals. Molina will make $14MM this year, the last guaranteed season of his contract, and then he and the Cardinals will have a decision to make on a $15MM mutual option ($2MM buyout) for 2018. However, the two sides are motivated to stay together and are considering hammering out an agreement to render Molina’s option moot, reports Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.
“It has been something that we have talked about in terms of what that might look like,” said general manager John Mozeliak. “But when you talk about extensions … I think it’s always best to keep that internal. But not to acknowledge that he has a year left with a mutual option wouldn’t be fair either. So I think as we look at ’17, it’s certainly something we have to think through. He’s made it no secret that he would like to find a way to stay here, and I would imagine that it’s something that we will mutually try to do.”
It’s no surprise that Molina and the Redbirds are mulling extending their relationship, given both his status as a franchise icon and his still-strong production. Now 34, Molina debuted with the Cardinals in 2004 and has been building what could end up as a Hall of Fame-caliber resume ever since. The ultra-durable Molina is coming off yet another terrific season behind the plate, one in which he amassed at least 130 appearances (a career-high 147, including a league-best 142 at catcher) for the seventh time in the past eight years. Along the way, he once again ranked as an elite pitch framer (via Baseball Prospectus and StatCorner) and blocker, though he only threw out 21 percent of attempted base stealers (exactly half his 42 percent lifetime mark).
Molina has long been a defensive stalwart, of course, but it took several seasons for his offensive production to reach the position’s upper echelon. Aside from a down 2015, though, Molina has been consistently above average at the plate dating back to 2011. In 581 plate appearances last season, the high-contact hitter batted .307/.360/.427 while striking out in only 10.8 percent of PAs – just under half the rate of the 21.2 percent league mean.
With no apparent signs that Molina is poised to markedly decline, it appears his future in St. Louis will last at least another couple seasons, though his next deal obviously won’t approach the five-year, $75MM extension he signed in 2012. In the improbable event he and the Cardinals part ways next offseason, it would likely pave the way for the Carson Kelly era. In the meantime, the 22-year-old is ticketed for Triple-A Memphis in 2017, while veteran Eric Fryer stands to serve as Molina’s backup. Judging by Molina’s history, Fryer won’t see much action this year.
Yes please!
lock him and Carlos up
I can’t see how he doesn’t finish his career on St. Louis. Need to get him locked up to quell any rumors about him leaving the Cardinals. He’s still an upper echelon catcher in the league and is a franchise icon.
Give him a needle and he’ll be good to go.
Nice troll job. Would help if you could actually spell “champs” right in your username.
Is was already taken genius. Come up with something different.
“it appears his future in St. Louis will last at least another couple seasons”
Based on what? If he has a good season he will likely opt out of his contract, and if he has a dumpy season the Cards will probably decline their half of the option. Then he becomes a free agent and who knows what happens. Mutual options rarely result in the contract not being opted out of by one side, and I don’t know that both sides having interest in continuing the relationship changes that. I that mutual interest doesn’t necessarily make it likely that the relationship will continue aside from or regardless of the mutual option.
First of all, Molina’s mutual option has a decent chance of being one of the rare ones exercised by both sides. Second, the idea is to give him a contract extension to get rid of that option. If necessary, it’s very likely they’ll resign him even if the mutual option is declined.
I’m surprised he hasn’t gained weight like his brothers.
He actually lost some size/weight a few years back. There was definitely some eyebrows that were “raised”……
Perhaps he saw how the weight issues hampered both his brother’s careers and learned from their mistakes and idk started eating healthy and exercising for lean mass
Perhaps…………
So to you.
If he gained muscle and weight as a professional athlete. That would cause concern and raised eyebrows.
Or if he loses fat as a professional athlete, that too raises eyebrows?
Are the only players that don’t raise eyebrows the players who perform the same each year and never see any changes to their bodies as they age?
You forgot one………
When players are ripped for several years, then…….after the league puts out a severe warning……..Guys are suddenly “Not As Ripped”…….it causes “raised eyebrows”. Piazza did the same thing…..
FYI……I was a Cardinal’s Spring Training Season Ticket holder in Florida for 10 years. Went to every game, every Spring. Gave those seats up a couple years ago. You “See A Lot” when you go to Spring Training 10 years in a row.
Cautiously Agree………Always loved Yadi. Appreciate his production in ’16, but that won’t continue for long.
Extension should be no more than 3/45 ………(for ’18, ’19, ’20)
Kelly should be ready to carry 1/2 the load by the ’18 season, and Yadi will be his backup (and maybe play some 1B) in ’19 & ’20
Spending more than that will come back to haunt the Cards.
please do, coming from a cubs fan
Sign him, he’s is the Cards at this point!
I can’t believe he’s only 34. Feels like he’s been their catcher for 20 years already.
You people are nuts that say pay him on the cheap. Copy and save this. He will be an above average hitter for at least three more years as well an elite catcher. 4 years 80 million is a steal!
Just reading that an extension is out there is a tough situation for the GM. Risk low-balling Molina and get shunned by the world, or sign the icon for more than what he will give in production.
Not an easy call. I see why Moz stresses the internal importance of the conversation.
Yadi and Buster are probably the two best there is behind the plate, at least in the National League. Is Yadi the same as he was five years ago? No, probably not but his value as a hitter in the back of the lineup is just as valuable. When he is at the plate and a runner on 1st, there is usually a hit and run called by Matheny because he is such a good contact hitter, plus it keeps them out of the double play which he does hit into a lot of double plays no question. But that’s what good contact hitters do, they put the ball in play and anything can happen when a hitter puts the ball in play, it sneaks thru the infield, an error, etc.
Molina is worse than Lucroy, you might be right about NL depends on what Realmuto/Grandal/maybe contreras end up doing and if you just mean defense
Yes defense. That is why i said the two best “behind the plate”
It’s not a playoff season without a Molina. Last year was the first in more than a decade.
No it wasn’t.
I sure hope they do, he is SO important to their club, and I just can’t see him leaving
I think they’d be able to agree on an extension, and then kelly can eventually pull half the weight. He’d also be great in the front office.
pujols, holliday, …molina next. cardinals will get someone else
Pujols equated $$$ with respect and Queen Angel was up his butt over getting maximum $$$ no matter what the cost.
IDK what happens with Yadi, but hopefully they figure something out thats good for everyone.
I would say don’t lose Yadi ,let him retire some day as a Cardinal. Move Carpenter back to 3rd base and let Yadi platoon between first base and behind the plate. Matt needs to also finish off as a Cardinal without moving all over the infield and stay in one place. Yadi would still be able to work with the pitchers and also groom Carson Kelly for someday taking over behind the plate. It would also prolong his career as he would not be taking the abuse to his body as a fully time catcher
I don’t think that people are saying that they should get rid of Yadi. The issue is ” how much is it going to cost them to keep him around”..???
He’s been a huge part of the organization for the last 10 years… he should sign a Team Friendly contract and retire a Cardinal.
If he continues to catch 140 games — despite how every year the Cards’ FO says he won’t — he will continue to decline. Already he no longer causes fear in opponents’ running game, and he had a lot more passed balls last year than one is used to.
As cheap as the cardinals are and with CC ready in a year or two gotta be careful with this! Should be no rush. There’s a mutual option for next year. Let’s play it by ear. Don’t wanna do another Wong and then he cross out. He will set DeCheap back years of we extend him and he falls off the planet production wise.