Yadier Molina took a role in the front office this offseason.
After taking a job in the front office earlier this offseason, St. Louis Cardinals legend Yadier Molina is scheduled to make his first appearance at spring training on Monday, as noted by Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat.
Molina was hired as a special assistant to Chaim Bloom, and while it's unclear exactly what he'll do, his presence will clearly be important for the Cardinals. It could also help serve as a springboard to a major league managerial gig for Molina, who is going to manage Team Puerto Rico at the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
The Molina file
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 and Molina also helped the Cardinals get to the World Series in 2013, where they were beaten by the Boston Red Sox.
A career .277 hitter, Molina hit 176 home runs and drove in 1,022 runs. Molina retired after the 2022 season, meaning he will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2028.
St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina (4) hits a single for his final postseason at bat in the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game two of the Wild Card series for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Busch Stadium. Jeff Curry-Imagn ImagesHow the Cardinals shape up this spring
Clearly going through a rebuild, the Cardinals will have several young and exciting prospects to watch this spring. From JJ Wetherholt to Liam Doyle to Joshua Baez to Jurrangelo Cijntje, the Cardinals feature as many as six Top 100 prospects (per MLB Pipeline).
Catching is one of the deepest portions of the Cardinals organization, with the likes of Leonardo Bernal, Yohel Pozo and Ivan Herrera, so that's certainly an area where Molina can be of help.
Other news and notes
--Former Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas was on 'Foul Territory TV' recently and spoke about the state of the organization, saying he understands why the group wants to rebuild and re-tool.
--Cardinals prospect Ixan Hernandez has been shut down from throwing because of an arm injury. Here's what we know.
--St. Louis also just released its spring training broadcast schedule. Here's when you can watch.
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