Yadier Molina to Consider Free Agency
St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina is reportedly considering free agency after the 2020 season. The 37-year-old is in the final year of his current deal. His current salary is $20 million but he has remained a productive and durable backstop for St. Louis for over 15 years. Marly Rivera of ESPN first broke the news.
https://twitter.com/MarlyRiveraESPN/status/1255548343239008262?s=20
Yadier Molina Is in His Final Years
Molina had a down year in 2019 but was still respectable. He hit .270/312/399 in 452 plate appearances with just 10 home runs. That was good enough for an 85 OPS+. That is significantly below his career mark of 98 but he had an OPS+ of 103 in 2018. 2020 will be huge in determining if Molina is truly in decline or if he can bounce back to his previous level.
Molina was drafted in 2000 and has been with the Cardinals every season since he debuted in 2004. His rookie season was the only time he failed to play at least 110 games in a season. He has been a picture of durability and reliability for St. Louis but has pushed some other catching options out of the organization. Molina might need more rest as he gets into his later 30s but there is very little keeping him from starting most games if St. Louis extends his contract again.
What This Means for the Future
Much of this could hinge on baseball’s return in 2020. If play resumes in the summer and Molina looks like he did in 2018, St. Louis will probably bring him back on a two or three-year deal. The team could move on to Andrew Knizner or Ivan Herrera if Molina either struggles or the season is cancelled entirely. This is a very fluid situation based on several factors. The one thing that is for certain is a Molina free agency would be a major change for a team that values consistency. The Cardinals have had the same catcher almost every day for nearly 20 years and multiple World Series championships. Moving on from that would not sit well with fans.
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