Legendary catcher Yadier Molina is returning to the St. Louis Cardinals organization after three seasons away, taking on the role of special assistant to president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. The 43-year-old will focus on developing the team's catchers at both the major and minor league levels. This move allows Molina to contribute his expertise while pursuing his long-term goal of becoming an MLB manager.
The St. Louis Cardinals announced on Wednesday that Yadier Molina, a two-time World Series champion and 10-time National League All-Star, will rejoin the organization as a special assistant. In this capacity, Molina will work directly with the Cardinals' catchers and minor league backstops, helping to shape the development curriculum for those players. He is expected to appear in uniform sporadically and contribute behind the scenes, including during some of the team's Spring Training in Jupiter, Florida.
Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom praised Molina's return in a statement: “We are happy to welcome Yadi back to the Cardinals organization. He is an elite competitor, a consistent winner, and one of the greatest ever at his position, and we look forward to many contributions during his visits with us in this new role, both in and out of uniform. Yadi will provide input on our catching program, will advise our staff on catching and game planning strategy, and will give me and our front office valuable perspective from his unique vantage point. Perhaps most important, he will help us nurture in our players the high standards, attention to detail, and championship mindset that are so critical to winning.”
Molina spent his entire 19-season career with the Cardinals, retiring alongside longtime teammate Albert Pujols in 2022 after the NL Wild Card Series. Since then, he had limited involvement with the team, returning once for Adam Wainwright’s retirement ceremony in 2023 and serving as a guest coach twice last season under manager Oliver Marmol. Molina holds several MLB records, including the most games caught with one franchise (2,184), and with Wainwright, the most wins (213) and starts (328) by a pitcher-catcher battery. He also set the record for most consecutive Opening Day starts by a catcher (15 from 2005-19), won four Platinum Glove Awards, and led the league in caught-stealing percentage four times. His career stats include 2,168 hits, 176 home runs, and 1,022 RBIs.
The Cardinals boast depth at catcher, with Iván Herrera, Pedro Pagés, and Jimmy Crooks at the major league level, and prospects like Leonardo Bernal (club's No. 4, MLB No. 92) and Rainiel Rodriguez (No. 3, MLB No. 55) in the minors. Molina, who aspires to manage in MLB and is currently managing Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, spoke last season about his desire to give back to the game. “The idea is to come here and help the catchers, give them advice and make them better,” he said on August 8 before a Cardinals-Cubs game. “I just want to be here to help... And I just want to enjoy the game. I don’t miss playing; I miss being at the field. But just being here, and being back in St. Louis, that means a lot to me.”
Molina's return comes as his son, Yanuell Molina, heads to the University of Texas at Arlington to play baseball, allowing him to focus on family while stepping back into professional baseball on a full-time basis.