Yanks Go Yard
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Yankees face a lot of competition with reported interest in Yadier Molina

ByThomas Carannante|
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 02: Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a fly ball against the San Diego Padres during the fourth inning of Game Three of the National League Wild Card Series at PETCO Park on October 02, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 02: Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a fly ball against the San Diego Padres during the fourth inning of Game Three of the National League Wild Card Series at PETCO Park on October 02, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Yanks Go Yard previously hoped the Yankees would be interested in Yadier Molina, and it appears they are.

Is general manager Brian Cashman reading YanksGoYard.com? That’d be really cool. But he definitely isn’t. A few weeks ago we suggested the Yankees target free agent catcher Yadier Molina, who is looking to play two more MLB seasons, which is actually perfect for New York’s window.

It’s clear Kyle Higashioka is not a full-time starter (or at least one the Yankees would want) and Gary Sanchez’s time in the Bronx is slowly coming to an end. A veteran backstop that can hit for contact and play stout defense is exactly what the Bombers need, especially with a lot of young arms ready to take over full-time spots in the rotation.

Molina fits that bill based on his resume and age, and if the Yankees can find a way to offload Sanchez’s $5 million salary, a decent two-year deal (perhaps in the $16-$18 million range) would be ideal in helping the Yankees bolster their World Series aspirations.

And guess what?! They’re very much interested. The only problem is that there seems to be a lot of competition. We thought the big-spending Mets would be focusing mostly on JT Realmuto, but it appears Steve Cohen is eyeing another veteran backstop who could help the team make a title run in the near future.

The Cardinals for certain cannot be ruled out here, either. That’s the only team Molina has played for throughout his MLB career and you have to think they have the most leverage.

Then again, they do have some payroll concerns, with an expected $115 million committed to the books for Opening Day. With their window of contention seemingly continuously closing, perhaps they might not want to spend to keep Molina around, and maybe he wants to leave for a more favorable situation.

And speaking of favorable, the Yankees drafted Austin Wells with their first-round pick in 2020, and he’s expected to be fast-tracked to MLB action whenever he can resume play in the minor leagues. The former Arizona Wildcat is a lefty-slugging catcher and figures to be a valuable future piece for the Bombers, meaning a two-year deal for Molina fits nicely in line with Wells’ development. And if he comes up earlier than that, the nine-time Gold Glove winner can give him some insightful pointers.

Don’t be surprised if the Yankees remain involved until the end here because the addition of Molina could help them solve a number of issues with their offense and defense.

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