Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals Agree to 3-Year Contract Extension

The St. Louis Cardinals and star catcher Yadier Molina have agreed to a three-year, $60 million contract extension, the catcher told Marly Rivera of ESPN on Sunday.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports first reported the deal Thursday. 

According to Rosenthal, Molina's deal will make him the highest-paid catcher by average annual value, with San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey's $18.5 million being the previous high.

Coming to an agreement on an extension now was vital, as the catcher noted earlier in the week that he would not discuss a contract during the season, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. That could have opened up the door for Molina to depart in free agency next winter, though the Cardinals won't have to confront that possibility now.

Molina, 34, has established himself as one of the best catchers in baseball over the past decade. The seven-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove winner has made a living as a defensive stalwart, and his career defensive WAR of 21.0 is the second-best mark among active MLB players, per Baseball-Reference.com.

He hasn't been a slouch at the plate, however, and hit .307 with eight home runs, 58 RBI and a .787 OPS in 2016. 

Molina signed a five-year, $75 million contract in 2012, is due $14 million in 2017 and has a $15 million mutual option in 2018 with a $2 million buyout, according to Spotrac.com. While he has become a staple of the Cardinals and one of the team's most important leaders, it was also no guarantee that the club would retain him after cutting ties with a veteran such as Albert Pujols in the past rather than paying him a big contract.

But Molina has remained a rock behind the plate and is one of the faces of the franchise. So long as he remains an above-average defensive presence and continues to work well with the pitching staff, he will continue to hold value for the Cardinals.