A Major League career that began back in 2004 will soon come to a close. At the Cardinals Winter Warmup event, Yadier Molina made this announcement.
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Yadi announced his retirement, but thankfully he plans to finish out his contract (ends in 2020) before he officially calls it quits.
Yadi has been widely considered one of the best defensive catchers in the game. Not just in recent memory, but all time. Most people know Yadi for his cannon for an arm which he uses to perfection.
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To Cardinal fans we know of his ability, but what some casual baseball fans don’t realize is that Yadi can be a presence at the plate as well. Now, he isn’t gonna blast 30 homers (career high is 22) and 100 RBI’s (career high is 82) every season, but he sure is effective.
He owns a career slash of .284/.336/.403 with 8 All-Star appearances and 8 Gold Gloves to his credit.
He is also an effective postseason hitter with a .286/.339/.368. It is interesting to note how particularly clutch he was in the World Series with a .328/.395/.403 slash lane in 4 World Series appearances.
After 2020, when Yadi decides to hang up the cleats, he will be known as one of the best Cardinals to play the game. He will have a case for the Hall of Fame if he continues to post solid numbers. He already gets mentioned with some of the best Catchers in the game and for good reason. His offensive production took a few years to materialize but his defensive ability was never questioned.
Good luck to Yadi in the 2018 season and his last years as a Redbird.
