Cardinals backstop Yadier Molina is still going strong as he nears the end of his most recent contract extension. His representative informed the organization yesterday that Molina intends to play beyond the 2020 campaign, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
It’s not yet known just how long Molina intends to keep plying his trade; no doubt he’ll wait and see at some point. But it appears he’s convinced enough of continuing past 2020 that the sides will dedicate time next spring to working out a new contract. That’s now on the docket, per Goold.
Molina is earning $20MM annually under his present contract, which covered the 2018-20 seasons. It came as a bit of a surprise when Molina secured such a hefty rate of pay the last time around, though the prior pact came on the heels of a highly productive 2016 campaign. And it was plenty understandable that the St. Louis organization had little interest in allowing the potential future Hall of Famer to speak with other teams.
Molina has certainly not fallen apart at the seams since inking his current deal, but there is evidence that time is catching up. His offensive productivity is waning, as he has been a slightly below-average hitter (.268/.313/.426) over the past three seasons. While he’s still lauded for his exceptional overall work behind the plate and in game preparation, Molina’s framing has been average or below in recent campaigns as well.
None of that is to dispute Molina’s well-earned status as a high-quality backstop and incalculably valuable presence, even into his late thirties. But it is questionable whether the club will want to continue paying such a premium rate into the future, which could set the stage for interesting talks this spring.
First ballot HOF.
He deserves all the respect.
As a Cubs fan, I totally agree.
Same.
Brewer fan – first ballot. No doubt at all. In fact if he’d started his five year wait last season, the Brewers would have won the division instead of St. Louis…
Also a Cub fan, fair is fair, he is, and Contreras is the next Molina.
Theo will banish Contreras soon. Maybe Texas but I haven’t looked at that closely yet. Contreras not on Molina level ever.
Trade others, not Contreras.
Let’s see where Contreras is years from now.
Molina was been a Defense first catcher, for first several years of career, then his hitting caught up with his D. Thru age 27 seasons for both Yadi had 56 Defensive runs saved vs 1 for Contreras. Thru 27 both Wilson & Yadi avg 2 WAR per season. After Yadi’s aged 27 season he avg 4.1 WAR per season and added 116 Defensive Runs saved.
Unless Wilson really turns on the D and maintains great offense, he isnt catching Yadi anytime soon.
Contreras is a good catcher no doubt, but he isnt Yadi or a Yadi clone.
First ballot? Very likely, though you never know with the voting system being as it is.
All the respect? 100%, yes.
Fun Fact: Yadier Molina leads all modern day catchers (2000 – today) in Fielding Runs Above Average (250.8). Source: BaseballProspectus
Unless you look at his stats
Which is a horrendous way to evaluate catchers if looked at in a vacuum. I think at this point even the most basic of stat people understand how bad WAR and defensive metrics for catchers is.
And just like the real Stan Lee you don’t let facts get in the way of your views. The guy has been a dominant catcher for years. Period.
I was supporting Molina’s case for the hall of fame and supporting the fact that he is one of the most dominant catchers to play the game. The commenter above me was saying that Yadi is not a hall of famer if you look at his stats, but stats cannot be viewed alone when evaluating catchers, it’s a different beast than the rest of the positions on the field.
Sacrilege!
I love Molina he is so cool.
He does. I’m a Reds fan and he has been a thorn in our side, and I’d like to see him go away, but he is due the respect that he’s earned.
I remember when Jose and Bengie were catching for the Angels and they talked about their little brother is so much better than they were. This was long before people know the name Yadier.
How on Earth the Angels missed out on the third Molina is something I will never comprehend. How on Earth they thought Joe Torres, Chris Bootcheck, Jared Abruzzo, Tommy Murphy, and Charlie Thames were better than him is completely beyond me.
Same situation as Wainwright, a must re-sign
The Cardinals cannot let Yadi play elsewhere.
Nice neck tat. Looks really cool.
Let’s see your ugly mug.
Intending vs a team wanting him are two different things
This is going to be a tough one. Cardinals are not going to want to pay that kind of scratch for an additional year (or two) and he won’t get it in the marketplace.
Most likely will give him incentives like Wainwright’s contract last year. He wants to retire a cardinal and that will happen. Knizer is definitely going to be around as we actually need a backup especially if Yadier gets hurt as he’s not healing as quickly as he used to.
I think 2020 will be negotiated specifically for a part-time or backup catching position. Yadi knows he can’t do this forever and has made his money, I heavily suspect he will enter the negotiations realistically much like Wainwright did.
I think you’re right. He’ll retire a Redbird, and I think he’ll take a lot less to do so.
what you dont think that your 1st ballot HOFer is worth an additional 2 yr 40 mil contract? He is after all your modern day Stan Musuial for the team.
If you knew this future HOF it’s that he loves winning and wants to win as much as possible, I know he sees the $ we will need for young pitchers when arbitration comes up as well as surrounding him with championship caliber teammates. He will still get paid but also know he may not be catching 6 days a week maybe 4 days a week. Check out all the hits he’s taken over the years, it’s why Johnny Bench and other old school catchers respect him.
Mo passes out the loyalty extensions during spring training, so how could Yadi not take the free money. If they were smarter, he should have to agree to be a backup to Knizner. Would love declining Yadi as back up catcher, coach, and pinch hitter. Anything more will simply hurt the team and yes of course he wants to play everyday.
He strikes out so infrequently he’d make a great pinch hitter!
I wonder if such a thing as a player/coach would be serviceable in today’s game? If so, would there be any chance, in y’all’s opinions, of the Cards signing Yadi to a contract with the stipulation that he can step out of playing and right into coaching immediately? I’d think keeping him in the organization to share his wisdom with young pitchers and catchers for a while to come would be invaluable.
I think it would be a great move. Last offseason, I was advocating that the Reds trade for him & sign him as a Player-Manager. I hope you recognize this as high praise coming from a Reds fan.
I don’t think the Cardinals would ever consider trading him even for a ridiculous haul. At this point the relationship goes beyond the numbers and they can see the value he brings beyond his play on the field. He’s one of those people that can’t really be replaced in terms of knowledge of his position and the draw he has for the fans.
You have to resign him if you’re the Redbirds, but at a much lower rate without being insulting. I think Molina and Waino should retire together and just continue to play on 1 year deals until they can’t or until they don’t want to.
Tough decision. Please take all emotions out of this decision to extend. Who will help this team win on both sides of the ball (defense & offense) and not back the team more into a financial corner (Carp/Fowler).
Hometown discount?? Only way I would extend him.
If he’s still healthy – a Waino deal would be fine.
Unless we have Kintz hitting .320 in AAA
Even then, you negotiate specifically with the idea that he would be part-time or backup. Yadi knows the team and the position better than anyone, he should be perfectly fine at gauging where the most meaningful way he can contribute is.
Yep – whatever he wants, he should get (outside of another $20 mil year)
He’s more than earned the right to stay if he wants to
his hometown is in puerto rico. no mlb team is there
Cardinals are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
They can’t let him go play somewhere else (they shouldn’t)…..but I sure hope they don’t “break the bank” on him going forward.
Wainwright got $5 mil plus incentives.
Yadi deserves more than that, but the same kind of contract (incentive laden)
I doubt he accepts less than 3/$45 Mil……..and the Cards should “let him walk” if that is the case. (unless he agrees to become a player/manager, then a bench coach….whenever Knizner is ready…)
I doubt it would be anything more than a 1 year at a time type contract, same as Waino
Molina will not play for another team, even if the Cards refuse to extend him. He’s tried to fight everyone in the NL Central lol – and he has to much Cardinal pride to move elsewhere <3
Cardinals won’t want to pay him, Matheny will bring him to K.C., then he’ll become a Royals coach and eventual manager.
nah bro
I don’t think he would even consider playing for Matheny again. They had some pretty public beef and that team was a mess, doesn’t seem like a situation he would willingly step into a second time.
Birds should reassure the fanbase he isn’t going anywhere and he will always be a Cardinal but hold off on any extension (as long as possible) until the end of 2020 and then offer him 0ne year if he is still rosterable. Sooner rather than later he will be done and you won’t be able to carry him even as a third catcher on a 26 man. The longer they hold off another K, the more likely that Injuries and lack of production catch up to Molina and the Cardinals can be saved from another waste of resources (although on a much smaller scale than Carpenter & Fowler). Nobody does nostalgia like the Redbirds.
Will his framing matter once MLB
starts using the robot ump?
Go away please. Dirtiest player in all of baseball. Can’t stand this guy or his attitude.
Dirty? I don’t get that comment at all. Manny Machado is dirty, Yadier is nothing like him.
Molina is a hard nosed leader…..and first ballot HOF.
I don’t know if I would call him dirty. But he is a mouthy loose cannon who is always trying to start drama. This has been going on for years and everyone except Cardinals homers have said this for a very long time.
It appears knizner is ready for a shot. Carson kelly was ready before too, and look what he did with arizona this past year. Love yadi, but at some point the cards have to go younger, and that pains me to say. Can’t burn another top catching prospect imo.
He is using the media to get a new contract and it will end up like the Fowler and Carp deals if they do it.
Adam Wainwright is a much better theoretical contract model than Carp or Fowler. There is no way they give him anything approaching $20 per unless it is incredibly incentive-laden.
If I think about it objectively and look at trends etc.. of course he will get an extension and you cant really disagree with the decision. Look at all the extensions currently on the roster because of DeWitts loyalty – Yadi is on a whole other level than any of them.. including Wainwright. The only way he plays elsewhere is if he wants like 4 yrs or Ivan Herrara turns into Pudge Rod overnight.
I get why fans want to hang on to their favorite players, but all careers have to end and fans have to move on. If you allow emotions to be the deciding factor in these things, then you are doing a disservice to the organization. The FO has already jettisoned one future heir apparent in Kelly. This may well lead to Knizner being traded as well. That would be a mistake. I just can’t see Yadi, who has had full say in when he plays for 10+ years, agreeing to be a backup.
It would be strange and hard for Cards fans, but if he wants to keep playing past 2020, then it should be in a different uniform.
Also, remember, he flat out said his current contract would be his last.
All for it
Ugh. No more needless nostalgia extensions of clearly declining players. He’s 38 and repeated hand and finger issues have sapped what’s left of his former offensive value. Please let him shop the market for his services at age 39-40. I bet, like last time, it don’t be anywhere near 20 million. Should’ve kept Kelly and traded Knizer instead to ARI and let Yadi walk after his previous options were up.
You know, I think this is a case to follow the model Boston used with Ortiz.
I think the franchise-player connection is equally strong. I also think this is Yadi seeking a little security, and an acknowledgement that he can go out on his own terms which seem to include (eventually) retiring with the organization.
I’d say a reasonable, but slightly lower salary – something that pays for his projected production plus a little bonus to account for his mentor/coaching role within the team. Maybe a couple vesting option years tacked on that show a chance to return for as long as the abilities remain… that sounds about right.
Future generations will google Molina’s name to settle bets on whether there was really a catcher who had a ball stuck to him or not. Not every day you see something like that.
One of the funniest comments I’ve ever read, was that pitchers, catchers and Molina’s were reporting for Spring Training…
He jobs to Benjie
If they extend Yadi, it’s got to be with the understanding that he relinquish some playing time to kninzer. It would be best for all. I doubt he’ll agree. He’s too much of an egomaniac.