Ken Rosenthal discusses the difficulties the Cardinals face trying to extend the contract of Yadier Molina:

Molina needs to recognize that his age works against him, even if (and perhaps partly because) he played in a career-high 147 games last season. He also needs to recognize that if he wishes to remain a Cardinal, he likely will not surpass Buster Posey’s $18.56 million average salary, the highest of any current catcher.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, need to recognize that Molina isn’t simply another aging veteran to whom they can bid farewell, the way they did with Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday. Molina’s career accomplishments, intense conditioning and enduring importance to the team’s pitching staff make him a special case.

Surely the Cardinals do recognize all of that, but other factors will complicate the negotiation.

Molina, who batted .307 with a .787 OPS last season, is coming off his best offensive performance since 2013, but his overall defensive metrics are in decline. At some point the Cardinals will want to mix in catcher Carson Kelly, their top position prospect. Yet, the club also would find it difficult to justify a reduction in Molina’s $15 million salary.

If the team has a good relationship with Molina, this shouldn’t be that difficult. The Red Sox had no problem keeping David Ortiz in the fold with a series of short term contracts. The Yankees did the same with Mariano Rivera at the end of his career. The Cardinals need to pay him less than he’s worth on the free-agent marker, but more than the Cardinals think they should pay. Sometimes it’s worth a few extra dollars to keep the fans and the great players happy.

Rosenthal puts Molina’s value at $50 million over three years. Given his recent performance, I think that’s a little high. I’d go two years at $30 million with an option, and keep extending like that as long as possible.