love yadi and want him to retire a cardinal, but i can't see him ever agreeing to back up carson kelly.Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said Sunday that the club has considered a contract extension for Yadier Molina.
Molina is set to make $14 million in 2017 and the two sides have a $15 million mutual option for 2018. The catcher will turn 35 at midseason this year, but the Cardinals and Molina would both surely like to work something out to where the seven-time All-Star can retire as a Cardinal. Molina's Gold Glove streak was snapped at eight last season, but he had his best offensive season (.307/.360/.427) in a few years while leading all catchers with 142 starts behind the plate.
Update: Yadi gettin' paid y'all, 3/$60-ish
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Update: Yadi gettin' paid y'all, 3/$60-ish
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Re: Cards and Yadi have discussed extension
The only reasons to let Yadi be the starting catcher until he's 40 is nostalgia type of reasons. I want him to retire as a Cardinal but to eventually diminish his everyday role. You don't pay a backup catcher 15 million a season. And making decisions based on nostalgia is how teams go into a losing streak. You need to do what the move is to keep the team good for years to come. If Carson Kelly is the real deal you don't block him for an aging catcher. If he's not then you have to go get someone else but you don't block the possibility of both of these options by extending Yadi beyond his effectiveness.
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Re: Cards and Yadi have discussed extension
Hard no to love Yadi. I hope they can find a roll for him so he can finish up as a Cardinal.
Also Waino for 7 more years? Wonder if he'd go to the pen to finish out his career? I have a hard time seeing him as a starter that long.
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Re: Cards and Yadi have discussed extension
I would like to see Yadi play out his career as a Cardinal. I hope they can come together on a mutually beneficial deal.
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Re: Cards and Yadi have discussed extension
I'm hopeful for Yadi but I don't think he'll retire a Cardinal by any means. He's going to want a full time job until the end and eventually the Cards will move on and let him find that somewhere else. I won't love it but I'm OK with it.
I wouldn't be surprised if AW finishes his career a Cardinal out of the bullpen though. I can easily see that working out with him. I think that he knows he'll have to pitch out of the bullpen eventually if he wants to keep playing and he'll accept that role with the Cards when the time is right. I think I read a comment this morning that said after his current deal is done he's planning on just going year to year which is the perfect scenario for retiring a Cardinal in my opinion because it allows him and the team to account for whatever role he's best suited for at the time after every season while not getting locked into anything too expensive or past the time where he can be an asset. I think he's smart enough to know when to be done and will walk away when that time comes but I guess you can never really know for sure with any professional athlete. They don't get to where they are at by doubting their abilities at any level.
I wouldn't be surprised if AW finishes his career a Cardinal out of the bullpen though. I can easily see that working out with him. I think that he knows he'll have to pitch out of the bullpen eventually if he wants to keep playing and he'll accept that role with the Cards when the time is right. I think I read a comment this morning that said after his current deal is done he's planning on just going year to year which is the perfect scenario for retiring a Cardinal in my opinion because it allows him and the team to account for whatever role he's best suited for at the time after every season while not getting locked into anything too expensive or past the time where he can be an asset. I think he's smart enough to know when to be done and will walk away when that time comes but I guess you can never really know for sure with any professional athlete. They don't get to where they are at by doubting their abilities at any level.
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Re: Cards and Yadi have discussed extension
Maybe Waino and Rosie can swap spots. Of course...Rosie will have to get much better and Waino will have to start throwing 98 again.
Molina playing for another team would have been like Ozzie Smith finishing his career as an Astro...just weird.
Molina playing for another team would have been like Ozzie Smith finishing his career as an Astro...just weird.
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Re: Cards and Yadi have discussed extension
An extension for Yadi, unless it's a short one -- one season -- at a discounted rate would be a very bad idea.
Yadi is great. He's an All-time Cardinal. Possibly a Hall of Famer. Arguably the best catcher of his generation... depending on whether you consider Buster Posey in the same generation or the next generation. But, he's already becoming less than stellar defensively and the bat will follow quickly. When his bat goes, what kind of value will he have for the team? It's not like we want his bat at 1b. He'll be a weak hitting, slow moving, poor defender, good game caller.... We normally pay those guys about $500k and call them names like "Eric Fryer".
Plus, I really like Carson Kelly and this team will be way more flexible in terms of payroll and athleticism with Kelly behind the plate earning $500k while playing top notch defense and hitting kind of like Yadi used to hit.
Yadi is great. He's an All-time Cardinal. Possibly a Hall of Famer. Arguably the best catcher of his generation... depending on whether you consider Buster Posey in the same generation or the next generation. But, he's already becoming less than stellar defensively and the bat will follow quickly. When his bat goes, what kind of value will he have for the team? It's not like we want his bat at 1b. He'll be a weak hitting, slow moving, poor defender, good game caller.... We normally pay those guys about $500k and call them names like "Eric Fryer".
Plus, I really like Carson Kelly and this team will be way more flexible in terms of payroll and athleticism with Kelly behind the plate earning $500k while playing top notch defense and hitting kind of like Yadi used to hit.
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Re: Cards and Yadi have discussed extension
Even if Yadi only falls off slightly offensively, I don't think he'll ever come close to reaching his batting success that he had from 2011-2013. Carson Kelly could have several of those years in him, if not better. I'm not ready to automatically anoint Kelly as the starter this minute. But to put the franchise in a position to where you're stuck giving most of the playing time to an aging veteran instead of a star on the rise just doesn't make any sense. Teams that make future decisions of the franchise based on nostalgia alone don't win championships.