Ahead of his guest coaching stint with the St. Louis Cardinals this weekend, team legend Yadier Molina shared his thoughts about what he misses about playing in the MLB. While he doesn't miss playing, Molina does miss other things according to team beat reporter Jeff Jones on X (formerly Twitter).
“I don’t miss playing,” Yadier Molina said to Jones on Friday. “I miss being at the field. Just to be here, to be back in St. Louis, means a lot to me. Especially in this town, they care about me. They care about my family. It’s gonna be a great night for me, especially.”
Molina spent 19 seasons with the team, etching his name in franchise history. Since his retirement following the 2022 season, the Cardinals haven't lived up to their historic level of play. The team hasn't been to the postseason since that year, and there could be wholesale changes once the season is over. Current president of baseball operations John Mozeliak will retire after the campaign, and Chaim Bloom will replace him. Manager Oliver Marmol could also be on his way out the door? Is Molina's guest coaching role perhaps a preview of what's to come?
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Even if Marmol isn't let go, don't be surprised to see Molina back in Major League Baseball sooner rather than later. Especially if the Cardinals or another major league team looks to hire him for an open managerial position this winter. At the moment, he's slated to once again manage the Puerto Rican national team at the World Baseball Classic in 2026. If Molina doesn't want to give that role up, he could wait for 2027 to make his return.
Regardless, there will be changes with his former team. Mozeliak and Bloom, along with the rest of the team's brass, made a few moves at the trade deadline. They traded away starting pitcher Erick Fedde plus relievers Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz and Phil Maton. One could argue that they should have traded even more away, but for now, the focus for St. Louis is finishing the season strong. At the moment, they are in fourth in NL Central. By this time next season, Bloom and whomever the manager will be, whether its Marmol, Molina or someone else, hopes that the Cards will be back in the playoff picture.
