Cardinals Legend Reportedly Could Return To Club In Coaching Role This Offseason

One former St. Louis Cardinals fan-favorite could be back with the club in a new capacity soon. 

Catcher Yadier Molina spent his entire illustrious career with the Cardinals after being drafted in the fourth round of the 2000 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft. Molina spent 19 years with the Cardinals but retired at the end of the 2022 campaign. It sounds like one year away might have been too much as Molina reportedly has discussed joining the club as a bench coach, according to FOX 2 Sports Director Martin Kilcoyne.

"The Cardinals need to make some moves this off-season, but before the roster gets a makeover, the coaching staff could also get some new faces," Kilcoyne said. 

"FOX 2 Sports Director Martin Kilcoyne says bringing back Yadier Molina might happen, and it makes sense. The two sides have talked about the idea of him joining the coaching staff, but it’s not clear how far those talks have progressed."

Bringing Molina back into the fold would make perfect sense for the Cardinals. He immediately would bring a form of leadership and experience into the clubhouse after spending so much time in the organization. Plus, people raised plenty of questions throughout the season about catcher Willson Contreras' defense. If the Cardinals were to bring Molina in as a bench coach he could work directly with Contreras and youngster Iván Herrera.

At this point, it's too early to know if a move actually will happen but it's something to watch out for this offseason.