Ex-catcher Yadier Molina returns to the Cardinals as a special assistant to the front office

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Yadier Molina is rejoining the St. Louis Cardinals as a special assistant to the front office, where the longtime catcher will provide his thoughts on the club's catching program, game strategy and day-to-day operations.

The Cardinals announced Molina's role working under new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom on Wednesday.

The 43-year-old Molina anchored World Series championship teams in 2006 and 2011 while helping the Cardinals win the NL pennant on two other other occasions. The 10-time All-Star is the only player in baseball history to catch 2,000 or more games with one club, and his nine Gold Gloves are second only to Ivan Rodriguez and Johnny Bench for the most at his position.

Molina, a native of Baymon, Puerto Rico, retired after the 2022 season and soon got into coaching.

He managed the Criollos de Caguas to the 2023 and ‘24 Roberto Clemente League title in Puerto Pico, and he also guided the team to the 2024 Caribbean Series. Molina managed Navegantes del Magallanes of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League to the playoffs in 2022, and he returned to the club last year and was voted the league’s manager of the year.

“We are happy to welcome Yadi back to the Cardinals organization,” Bloom said in a statement. “He is an elite competitor, a consistent winner, and one of the greatest ever at his position, and we look forward to many contributions during his visits with us."

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