Cardinals are screwing up negotiations with Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina
By John Buhler
The St. Louis Cardinals may lose Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina this offseason.
Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina have been St. Louis Cardinals franchise staples for years.
Wainwright and Molina have never played for another big league club in their illustrious careers. While only Molina will end up with a bronze plaque in Cooperstown between the two of them, Cardinals fans could count on the ace pitcher and the brilliant backstop to be prominent pieces on their club every season since 2005. Now, both may not suit up in St. Louis in 2021.
How hard can a pair of one-year deals for two St. Louis legends be?
2021 will be Wainwright’s 16th MLB season. He turned 39-years-old in August and this could very well be his last year in the big leagues. Wainwright may look to a broadcasting career or spend some time at home with his family once he finally hangs up the spikes. For him to not be re-signed at this point indicates he may play one last season potentially somewhere else. That is possible.
As for Molina, he was given a deal by the Cardinals well below what he deemed his market value would be. He supposedly has several suitors in his free agency, especially after former Chicago White Sox catcher James McCann signed with the New York Mets. Molina is a future Baseball Hall of Famer, but to see the 38-year-old catcher play for somebody else would be a travesty.
Ultimately, the Cardinals have a tough decision to make. Do they bring the band back together for one last go-around and try to win the NL Central one last time with this core? Unlike in the NL East and the NL West where the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers loom large, the NL Central should be wide open next year. One would think the dynamic battery would be part of it.
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St. Louis is not just a team full of old dogs, as they have a handful of strong every day players who will help the organization transition into the next era of Cardinals baseball. Wainwright has given way to St. Louis’ new ace in Jack Flaherty. All-Star-level players like Paul Goldenschmidt, Matt Carpenter and Paul DeJong still have plenty left in the tank, while Molina does not at this time.
Either way, it would be a shame if the Cardinals cannot figure out how to bring this duo back.