But it is fair to wonder how much longer he can do that, and it is a question with massive implications: Molina is in the final year of his contract, with he and the Cardinals holding a mutual option for 2018, which means he could become a free agent after this season. Some have speculated it could take three years and $50 million for the Cardinals to keep him, and it is unknown whether the team would go there. History has not been kind to catchers in their mid-30s.