Cardinals re-sign Yadier Molina

Three things in life are certain: death, taxes, and Yadier Molina re-signing with the St. Louis Cardinals. The 17-year MLB veteran inked a one-year, $9 million deal to return for another season, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

Molina, 38, enjoyed a .262/.303/.359 slash line in a shortened 2020 campaign. While he missed time due to a COVID-19 diagnosis, he provided stable offensive help when active. He posted 16 RBI on 38 hits, striking out 21 times and drawing six walks. In addition to his decent line at the plate, Molina continued to impress defensively. He threw out five of 11 base-stealers and surrendered just three passed balls. His .985 fielding percentage was a career-low, but his 0.12 defensive fWAR per game represented a single-season best dating back to 2015.

Speaking of overall career metrics, Molina is one of the best and most reliable to ever strap on the catcher’s gear. He owns a career .995 fielding percentage and has thrown out a whopping 350 base-runners.

The future Hall of Famer’s return to St. Louis allows the Yadi story to continue to grace Major League Baseball. The Puerto Rico native is a nine-time All-Star, nine-time Gold Glove award winner, and five-time MVP candidate. Now, he’s staying in Missouri to serve as a supreme backstop for his 18th campaign.