Inside The Cardinals

Yadier Molina's Return is Perfect for Cardinals' Long-Term Plan

The St. Louis Cardinals brought the team legend back to town on Wednesday.
Patrick McAvoy|
Oct 5, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pinch hitter Yadier Molina (4) steps to the plate for the final regular season at bat of his career against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Oct 5, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pinch hitter Yadier Molina (4) steps to the plate for the final regular season at bat of his career against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals made a very good decision on Wednesday.

St. Louis announced on Wednesday that legendary catcher Yadier Molina is returning to the franchise in an official capacity. Molina will be the special assistant to the president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom.

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The timing of this move couldn't be better. St. Louis has been trying to figure out the catcher position since Molina hung up his cleats after the 2022 season came to a close. The Cardinals opted to bring All-Star catcher Willson Contreras to town. Contreras was a great member of the organization, but the club moved him from catcher to first base in 2025 and traded him to the Boston Red Sox this offseason.

The Cardinals made a phenomenal move

St. Louis Caridnals guest coach Yadier Molina
Aug 8, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Caridnals guest coach Yadier Molina (4) talks with third baseman Thomas Saggese (25) during the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

In 2025, the Cardinals turned the reins over to Iván Herrera, but he got the vast majority of his playing time as designated hitter because of injuries. With Herrera not catching, the job was held by Pedro Pagés and Yohel Pozo. Eventually, No. 6 prospect Jimmy Crooks made his big league debut.

With the 2026 season approaching, the Cardinals have Herrera, Pagés, and Crooks as the expected top options at catcher. There's even more talent coming as well. St. Louis's No. 3 prospect is 19-year-old backstop Rainiel Rodriguez. The Cardinals' No. 4 prospect is 21-year-old catcher Leonardo Bernal, who very well could have a shot at making his big league debut in 2026.

The Cardinals have Molina back in the fold and all of these young guys will have a chance to learn from a future Hall of Famer. Herrera, Crooks, Rodriguez, and Bernal all could be long-term options for the club behind the plate.

St. Louis has a young roster in general and it's good to learn from one of the best players in franchise history. Specifically, at catcher, the Cardinals are loaded with high-end prospects and now they can learn from the best as they try to fill his shoes.

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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