ST. LOUIS – Yadier Molina, one of the most accomplished catchers in St. Louis Cardinals history, will not join the team’s coaching staff in 2024 despite some apparent mutual interest.
Molina will not take on a Cardinals coaching role next year, but he plans to serve as a special advisor for the franchise this upcoming season, according to a report from ESPN’s international baseball insider Enrique Rojas.
FOX 2 Sports Director Martin Kilcoyne reported last month that Molina and the Cardinals had previously discussed coaching opportunities, and there was some degree of mutual interest. For the upcoming season, Molina will take on a relatively scaled-back supervisor role that involves scheduled visits to spring training and the regular season.
Rojas further adds that Molina’s long-term plan is to be a Major League manager and he is hopeful the upcoming experience will prepare him for that.
As the Cardinals’ lead backstop from 2004-2022, has been instrumental in guiding pitchers and building trust with many hurlers throughout his career. Previously, Molina reportedly mentioned various offers in the United States to coach over the past few years.
Molina managed Puerto Rico during the World Baseball Classic last spring, leading his country to one of the later stages of the tournament. Since retiring last year, Molina also has had some coaching and leadership experience with various professional baseball and basketball teams overseas.
NOTE: Video is from Martin Kilcoyne’s initial TKO report of Yadier Molina and potential interest in a coaching role with the Cardinals from Oct. 12, 2023.
