Rick Hummel, a highly respected writer who has covered the St. Louis Cardinals for the last 40 years, is inclined to think that the red birds will retain both Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright. Both players are free agents, but the former has been connected with the New York Yankees lately. The Bombers could entertain the idea of replacing the struggling Gary Sanchez.
After all, Sanchez hit a career-low .147 during the regular season and the New York Yankees sent him to the bench in the postseason to start Kyle Higashioka. The Kraken hit 10 homers but had lots of problems making consistent contact, and his work behind the plate, while improved, was still inferior to that of Higgy.
Hummel, who works for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and knows what he’s talking about when it comes to the Cardinals, participated in an online chat this week, where he said that the Yankees are unlikely to sign Molina.
Hummel, for reference, was the writer who mistakenly gave an MVP vote to reliever Ryan Tepera.
The Yankees are extremely unlikely to end up with “Cardinal for life” Molina
Here is his take on Molina and why he doesn’t think the Yankees will end up with the future Hall of Fame catcher, published by NJ Advance Media:
“For next year, assuming some fans are allowed back in the park, the Cardinals would do well to give the fans what they want–Molina and Wainwright–and then to try to fix up as much of the rest of the club as they can. … This is a situation where you have go with your heart, as much as feasible. It isn’t as if you’re locked into five more years of either player. Let the fans, hopefully, see them play at least somewhere close to an elite level for another year anyway. This would not be a charity sign really. Wainwright was the Cardinals’ best starter in 2020 and Molina was respectable while playing hurt and after battling the virus.
“My take is that Wainwright was their best starting pitcher for much of last season and that Molina makes the entire staff better than it is because of his knowledge and leadership. Don’t those two items help your team? … There is no one ready to “step in†for Molina. … Generally, you want your best pitcher back, and Wainwright was the Cardinals’ best starter in 2020. These days, you’re trying to reconnect with your fan base and, if you can bring back popular players who still can help, you do it.”
It is unclear if the Yankees will seek to upgrade the catcher position or if they will focus on pitching, instead.