Yadier Molina is certainly a fascinating name to watch in coaching, but he evidently won't be on the St. Louis staff next year, per reports.
According to a recent report from Katie Woo of The Athletic, St. Louis Cardinals legend Yadier Molina is unlikely to be on the team's coaching staff for the 2026 season.
Woo says that the organization is open to finding a role for him in the organization, but it wouldn't be in an on-field capacity.
About Molina's career
One of the most revered Cardinals players of the last quarter century, Molina spent 19 years with the St. Louis organization. He was the ultimate winner, helping the team to two World Series titles. He also earned 10 All-Star selections, nine Gold Glove Awards, four Platinum Gloves and two Silver Sluggers.
He paired with the likes of Albert Pujols and Adam Wainwright to make up a special era of team history. The group won the World Series in both 2006 and 2011.
A career .277 hitter, Molina hit 176 home runs and drove in 1,022 runs. He has a strong case to make the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Coaching aspirations
Despite just retiring after the 2022 season, Molina has already been able to find several valuable coaching experiences, and there are thoughts that he could be a big-league manager in the near future. He has coached in the Dominican Winter League, and will also manage Puerto Rico at the looming World Baseball Classic, which begins in March 2026.
There, he will coach one of the top teams in the tournament. The roster could include the likes of big league stars including Edwin Diaz, Francisco Lindor, Javier Baez and Jose Berrios.
He even appeared on the Cardinals bench for a late-season series this year.
Why no coaching role in St. Louis?
It's unclear where this decision comes from, but it's quite possible that this is the best possible outcome for all sides.
First, after three straight seasons of missing the playoffs, does manager Oli Marmol really need the shadow of Molina leaning over him? Does he need fans and sports talk radio clamoring for him to be replaced by Molina at some point? That situation could be untenable.
Does Bloom need that dynamic? He already lived in a world in Boston where the organization favored Alex Cora over him. Is he rushing to get back into a similar situation here?
And how about Molina himself? Does he want to be in a position to potentially overtake his old manager, and a guy who has been good to him?