Report: Molina expected to re-sign with Cardinals

Yadier Molina will make a decision regarding the 2021 campaign soon.

Molina is expected to sign a new contract with the St. Louis Cardinals after the upcoming Caribbean Series, if not sooner, a source told Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

The veteran catcher recently told a Puerto Rican newspaper that he expects to ink a new deal in the next few days, according to Luis Nolla of The Big 550 KTRS, though he didn't explicitly mention it would be with St. Louis.

Molina also said, however, that he received a one-year offer from the Cardinals, who agreed to a one-year pact with the catcher's longtime teammate, Adam Wainwright, on Thursday.

The financials of the Cardinals' offer to Molina aren't known, but the money is reportedly less than the $20 million he earned in 2020.

Molina's agent said in November that the backstop was seeking a two-year contract.

The 38-year-old has been playing in Puerto Rico and was recently placed on the roster of Los Criollos de Caguas for the Caribbean Series. His inclusion appeared to signal that a big-league deal wasn't close, especially after the nine-time Gold Glover recently mentioned the possibility of retiring if he couldn't find an offer to his liking.

Molina has been a Cardinals mainstay for the past 17 seasons, appearing in 2,025 games with the franchise that drafted him in 2000. The nine-time All-Star helped St. Louis win two World Series.

The New York Yankees and New York Mets have also been connected to Molina this offseason.