St. Louis Cardinals Legend Returns To Team In Unique Role

A familiar face will return to the St. Louis Cardinals for their upcoming series at Busch Stadium.

Former Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina will be in uniform as a guest coach under manager Oliver Marmol on Friday and Saturday against the Cubs, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic.

"He reached out to [Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak] and me, asking what we thought about him being in uniform,” Marmol said toThe Athletic. “My response was an easy one: Absolutely.”

Molina spent his entire 19-year MLB career with the Cardinals from 2004-22. He helped the team win World Series titles in 2006 and 2011, in addition to 11 other playoff appearances. He was a 10-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner with the Cardinals, and he won the Roberto Clemente Humanitarian award.

Molina finished his Cardinals career with 2,224 games played, 777 runs, 2,168 hits, 176 home runs, 1,022 RBI, 55.6 wins above replacement and a .277/.327.399/.726 slash line. He will be eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2028, though his candidacy will be debated more so than his teammate Albert Pujols, who's eligible the same year.

"Molina will be a more divisive candidate, given that he was a below-average hitter over the course of his career," Andrew Simon of MLB.com wrote. "But his reputation as an all-time great defensive catcher and postseason hero should give him a real chance.

Molina, 43, could also be a candidate to become an MLB manager in the future now that his playing days are over. He's set to manage Team Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, a role he also held during the 2023 tournament, when Puerto Rico reached the quarterfinals.

Marmol signed an extension to manage the Cardinals through the 2026 season, but changes are coming elsewhere in the organization as early as next season. Mozeliak is stepping down after the 2025 season, and Chaim Bloom will take over his role.

After selling at the trade deadline last week, the Cardinals will likely miss the playoffs for the third straight season. At 58-58, they're 13 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the National League Central division and 5.5 games out of the third Wild Card spot.

With Molina in the dugout, the Cardinals are set to host the Cubs on Friday at 7:15 p.m. CT and Saturday at 6:15 p.m. CT at Busch Stadium.

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