The St. Louis Cardinals have spent a lot of dollars this spring on securing the futures of Adam Wainwright and Allen Craig in Cardinals' uniforms for years to come. The extensions the Cardinals gave out are truly signals of how the organization values players like Wainwright and Craig.But lets not forget just how important Yadier Molina is to this Cardinals' team. The guys from The Cruddy Show discussed who would be the Cardinals' MVP in 2013 and the answer was clear. Molina is head-and-shoulders the most important player on the Cardinals' roster.
Molina received his own contract extension last sesaon of 5-years, $75 million, which is a deal that looks extremely cheap after seeing what the San Francisco Giants gave Buster Posey on Friday.
Molina has gone relatively unnoticed this spring, mostly because he spent a lot of time away from the team while he competed for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.
But Molina deserves attention because he is one of the most special, well-rounded players in all of baseball.
Molina can absolutely dominate a game on his own without even stepping into the batter's box. His ability to handle pitchers and call a game is unrivaled in baseball. His defensive skills are superior thanks to text-book technique and a cannon for an arm. Molina is like a point guard in basketball, who can win a game without even taking a shot. With the glove, Molina is that good.
While his defensive game is often times enough to get the job done, he is no slouch at the plate either.
Molina has hit at least .293 in four of the last five seasons and last year showed an improved power stroke by belting 22 long-balls in route to his best offensive season of his career.
Cardinals' fans should not be confused as opening day is set to start on Monday down in Arizona.
Yadier Molina is the most important player on this roster and he may be the most valuable player in all of baseball.
The Cruddy Show is a St. Louis sports talk show and podcast. Listen to The Cruddy Show every Tuesday and Friday night live at 9:30 pm CT on BlogTalkRadio.com to hear the latest in St. Louis sports. You can download each podcast on iTunes and follow (@CruddyShow) on Twitter!
