Yadier Molina insulted by Cardinals’ latest offer

Longtime St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was not impressed with the team’s latest contract offer.

The St. Louis Cardinals are in quite the predicament this offseason, as two important players in their franchise’s history are on the open market. Catcher Yadier Molina and pitcher Adam Wainwright are testing the waters of free agency, and the Cardinals are looking to find a way to secure them for, likely, the remainder of their careers. As it turns out, re-signing Molina is a lot harder than the organization would’ve liked.

According to Mark Saxon of The Athletic, Molina has balked at the “ridiculous” offer the Cardinals recently sent. The details of said contract proposal are unknown.

Cardinals must beware of Yadier Molina’s other suitors

Saxon continues with his report, saying that Molina would prefer a two-year contract, or at least a one-year, $10 million deal with an option for 2022. Based off the term “ridiculous,” it’s unlikely that St. Louis met any of the requirements.

The Cardinals aren’t the only club looking to secure Molina’s services for at least the 2021 season. This offseason, the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, New York Mets and Los Angeles Angels have expressed interest in Molina.

What does work in the Cardinals’ favor is that the Mets are close to a deal with Chicago White Sox catcher James McCann. However, the Angels are reportedly still in the mix for McCann, per FanSided’s Robert Murray.

As for the Yankees, they tendered an offer to Gary Sanchez, despite his woeful 2020 campaign. Not much is known about San Diego’s interest in Molina, but considering they’re looking to contend for the World Series, you can’t be surprised if they make an aggressive offer to the veteran catcher.

This past season with the Cardinals, Molina slashed .262/.303/.359 with four home runs, 38 hits and 16 RBI. Molina recorded a .985 fielding percentage and committed five errors behind home plate.

Just because the Cardinals’ latest offer didn’t meet Molina’s demands, that doesn’t mean they’re out of the sweepstakes. Expect St. Louis to make another offer soon to ensure Molina is a career Cardinal.