St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina told reporters that contract discussions between his representation and the team have been put on hold, according to B.J. Rains of FOX Sports Midwest. Molina did add that they're only stopping talks for now while specifically mentioning his willingness to re-engage in the future.
This offseason, the Cardinals picked up Molina's $7 million club option for the 2012 season. The career-long Cardinal is eligible to hit free agency after the end of the season, though, so there's some pressure on both sides to get a deal done before the end of the season.
Molina, 29, would be heavily coveted if he hits free agency. He had a big year in 2011, hitting .305/.349/.465 with a career-high 14 home runs and a career-best WAR of 4.1 according to FanGraphs. Few catchers have the combination of offensive and defensive skills that Molina possesses.
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