Even after 19 years, Yadier Molina can’t get enough of the St. Louis Cardinals. And the organization that drafted him in the fourth round of the 2000 MLB Draft apparently feels the same way.
On Wednesday, the franchise announced it is bringing back its longtime catcher for a front-office role as a special assistant to Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak.
“We are excited to welcome Yadi back to the St. Louis Cardinals,” Mozeliak said in a statement. “He will provide invaluable help at the major league level, as well as spend time with our minor league teams in his new role with the team.
Molina, 41, retired in 2022 after playing 2,224 games and his entire career in St. Louis. He left the sport as the MLB leader in games played by a catcher for one team (2,184).
In his nearly two decades with the Cardinals, Molina helped St. Louis win two of the four World Series (2006 and 2011) he appeared in and was a 10-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner.
No player in St. Louis history has more postseason games played (104) or postseason hits (102) than Molina, and only Stan Musial played more years (22) for the Cardinals.
Molina managed Puerto Rico during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
