Molina is back with the Cardinals. (Everyone cheers!)
Early this offseason reports indicated that Molina was seeking a two-year deal and there were multiple teams interested, with the Cardinals favored to bring their Hall of Fame catcher back. It wasn’t the most harmonious of free-agent negotiations. The Cardinals continued to express their desire for him to return. Molina, meanwhile, expressed his growing displeasure with the process through family, friends, and his Instagram account.
In the end, it doesn’t look like his market ever materialized as he hoped. The Cardinals refused to bid against themselves, and Molina had to settle for a 1-year contract with $9M earlier this week.