Cardinals: Yadier Molina pondering return, but there's a catch

Cardinals great Yadier Molina could be considering a return to the franchise he called home his entire MLB career but in a different role.

The St. Louis Cardinals plummeted into vastly unfamiliar territory in 2023, finishing in last place in the National League Central and being relegated to trade deadline sellers for the first time in ages. They did not commit to a full rebuild, though, and hung on to stars like Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. Now, the organization must figure out how to quickly recover for 2024.

The best way to restore the franchise's proud tradition of competitive baseball might just entail management to look to the past. The very recent past, that it is. After retiring in 2022, Yadier Molina has been in talks on possibly returning to the Cardinals in a coaching role, according to Martin Kilcoyne and Dave Jobe of Fox-2 St. Louis.

It is only natural to look for reinforcements in the form of one of the city's most beloved athletes in recent memory. Molina spent his entire 19-year MLB career with the Cards, winning two World Series titles, nine Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger. The Puerto Rican native was also named to a remarkable 10 All-Star teams, firmly ensconcing himself in modern franchise history. His leadership and elite ability to communicate with pitchers helped foster a renown baseball culture.

Yadier Molina could mentor Cardinals' Willson Contreras

And that is exactly what the Cardinals brass would be asking the former catcher to do if he were to serve on manager Oliver Marmol's coaching staff. Discipline was a big question mark in the clubhouse, as a talented squad inexplicably floundered all year long. While injuries definitely exacerbated the team's problems, Molina's absence was severely felt.

The front office signed catcher Willson Contreras to a five-year, $87.5 million contract last offseason and is desperate to maximize his return value on the field. Molina and the three-time All-Star have already had correspondence, so his potential presence in the clubhouse could be of tremendous benefit for Contreras and ultimately the entire pitching staff.

Whether or not Yadier Molina officially rejoins the club, things must drastically change next year in St. Louis. But in the meantime, this developing story is a good excuse for fans to reminisce about the not-so-distant glory days as they still try to block out a miserable 2023.