Cardinals’ Yadier Molina embarrasses Astros outfielder on basepaths

Yadier Molina may be 38, but don’t run on the St. Louis Cardinals catcher. Watch Jose Siri find out the hard way.

There have been comments made that St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina is not the same player he was during his prime. At 38, his numbers have declined and he was not a highly sought after player in free agency despite being a sure-fire Hall of Fame player.

But Molina remains one of baseball’s best catchers. Just ask Houston Astros outfielder Jose Siri, who was caught stealing by Molina. He egged Molina on, making comments and eye contact toward him behind the plate, before being thrown out by 10 feet attempting to steal second base.

The breakdown, via Jomboy Media, is worth your time. It underscores that Molina remains a high-end defensive catcher at this stage of his career and a real asset behind the plate.

It has been well-documented just how much Molina means to the Cardinals. His defense remains strong. His baseball IQ is off the charts. His arm and accuracy gunning out runners on the base paths, as evidenced by the video, is as good as ever. That is not to mention that he is still a decent offensive player and capable of being a real threat in the lineup.

Together, it makes Molina a valuable player. Considering the stakes of the Cardinals season, after acquiring Nolan Arenado, his presence means everything. Molina is the leader of the team and allows Arenado to ease into his transition to St. Louis rather than become the face of the team and locker room right away. In the long haul, however, Molina will hand over that reign to Arenado.

But Molina remains an impact player and as Siri learned the hard way, run on him at your own risk.