Major League Baseball

St. Louis Cardinals: How Long Does Yadier Molina Have?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:33 p.m. ET

Fansided, David Hill/FanSided via Call to the Pen

Yadier Molina has been one of the constants for the St. Louis Cardinals over the past dozen years. How much longer does he have left with the Cardinals?

Since the 2004 campaign, Yadier Molina has been one of the constants for the St. Louis Cardinals. He has played seemingly every day, a true workhorse for a catcher. In fact, since the 2005 campaign, he has not played in fewer than 110 games each year. In the last eight years, he has only had one season with fewer than 130 games played.

While his durability has been impressive, Molina has also been a solid all around player. While he is known for his excellent defense and strong arm which has led to eight Gold Glove awards, he has been a solid player with the bat as well. Despite a slow start to his career offensively, Molina has posted an overall .285/.338/.400 batting line, hitting 308 doubles. Molina has even flashed a bit of speed for a catcher, swiping 47 bases.

Yet, while Molina's durability has been impressive, one has to wonder how long he will remain in St. Louis. He is signed through this season, with a mutual option for the 2018 campaign. While there had been some talk about an extension in the past month, the Cardinals also have a top catching prospect in Carson Kelly waiting in the wings. Although he will begin the 2017 campaign in AAA, Kelly could be ready for Major League action soon.

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This leads to the question about Molina's future. At 34 years old this year, and with approximately 14,000 innings behind the plate including the postseason, he is bound to wear down in the near future. The question is when will that decline happen.

Based on his production last year, it may still be a few years away. Molina had .307/.360/.427 batting line with 38 doubles and 8 homers, his highest marks since 2013. He also accomplished that production despite having an astonishing 146 games behind the plate, a workload that just boggles the mind.

By the end of this season, the Cardinals will need to make a decision on Molina. Will he continue to be able to handle that workload and be in the lineup virtually every day? Or will they be better served by saving the money it would take to keep Molina and give Kelly a chance to start? That question may be answered based on how Molina performs in the upcoming campaign.

At some point, Yadier Molina will start to slow down. Will he be with the St. Louis Cardinals when that happens?