Cardinals need to lock Molina up soon

With Albert Pujols moving on to the Anaheim Angels, the Cardinals have spent the past few weeks looking at ways to upgrade their roster for the 2012 season. But if they don't want a similar scenario with Pujols to play out again next winter, the Cardinals need to soon turn their attention towards catcher Yadier Molina. The four-time Gold Glove Award winner will enter the final year of what became a 5-year, 22.5 million contract in 2012 after the Cardinals picked up his 7 million option for next season shortly after they won the World Series. Molina enjoyed his best offensive season in the big leagues in 2011, setting career highs in batting average (.305), home runs (14), RBI (65), doubles (32), runs (55) and slugging percentage (.465). And if the Cardinals learned anything from how the Pujols negotiations turned out, they should look to sign Molina to a long-term extension before he becomes a free agent. One could argue that Molina was actually more popular among Cardinals fans than Pujols. It he wasn't, they were pretty darn close. The catcher routinely received the loudest cheers at Busch Stadium whenever his name was announced. The Cardinals likely got the best eleven years of Pujols' career and while it stings now, ultimately the club will probably be better off for not signing him to the huge contract that he ended up getting from Anaheim. Molina is a different story. He's turned himself into arguably the best all-around catcher in the National League and perhaps all of baseball. And he would be extremely hard to replace. The Cardinals will fill the void at first base left by Pujols by playing Lance Berkman there and putting Allen Craig into right field when he returns from offseason knee surgery. Slugger Matt Adams will likely be the every day first baseman at Memphis in 2012 and could be ready to take over the spot for the Cardinals in 2013. But they don't enjoy that luxury behind the plate. Taking nothing away from Tony Cruz, Bryan Anderson or the rest of the catchers in the Cardinals' farm system, none are anywhere near the skill level that Molina provides both offensively and defensively. Molina has made three straight All-Star Games and has become one of the more popular catchers around the game. And if he hits the open market after next season, almost every team in baseball would be lining up for his services. Braves catcher Brian McCann will make 12 million next season. That's likely around the ballpark figure that Molina will command yearly for his next contract, which could be for as many as four or five years. Molina will likely be looking for a five-year deal worth somewhere around 60 million. The Yankees, Red Sox and virtually every team in baseball would likely jump into the bidding for one or the premiere catchers in the game, driving his price even higher. Doesn't it seem likely that Pujols would try to convince the Angels to throw a bunch of cash at him to reunite the friends out in Anaheim? The Cardinals can't afford to lose Molina. He's a fan favorite and one of their core players. The price understandably got higher than they could afford to pay with Pujols. The same can't be said for Molina. Not signing Molina to an extension before he reaches free agency could again prove costly once other teams have the chance to outbid them. Even if it means overpaying to keep him, the Cardinals need to make it happen. Whether it's before the season or during it, the club must find a way to lock up their All-Star catcher. If folks thought the backlash of losing Pujols was bad, wait to see what would happen should another fan favorite bolt just a year later. At 29 years old, Molina appears to be entering the prime of his career. And the Cardinals need to move quickly if they want to keep him in St. Louis for several more years. It could be a disaster if they don't.