This will be Year 3 of the post-Yadier Molina era for the St. Louis Cardinals. The likely future Hall of Famer retired following the 2022 season, and things haven’t gone all that well for the Cardinals since. They’ve missed the playoffs the last two years and are now in the middle of what POBO John Mozeliak called a “reset” early in the offseason. A third straight postseason-less year may be in the cards, no pun intended.
Molina, now 42, rejoined the Cardinals as a special assistant in December 2023, though he has not been active in that role. He has not attended any team events and has not been with the team as a guest instructor in spring training. Molina has a good reason though: he’s focusing on spending time with his family, including his 16-year-old son Yanu, a high school catcher where the family lives in Texas.
Here’s what Molina told The Athletic about retired life:
“I’ve been away from my family for many years,” said Molina, who retired in 2022 after a 19-year playing career, all with St. Louis. “I decided to take a break and put them as my priority right now.”
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“At first (retiring) was hard,” Molina said. “You didn’t know what to expect and you worry what people will say about you. You worry about that the first couple of years. But then you enjoy it. It takes time to get used to. I mean, for 20 years, you’re basically on the field and you’re working and spending more time with your teammates than your family.
“(My family) deserves for me to be at home,” he added. “They deserve that — 19 years, 20 years being away from home is not easy for (my wife) Wanda.”
Molina managed the Puerto Rico team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and is likely to do so in 2026. He has also managed in winter ball the last few years, which has a much shorter season and fewer demands than Major League Baseball. Like most longtime catchers, Molina has long been viewed as a future manager, and he has gained experience in that role. Just not with the Cardinals.
“I’m loyal to the people that helped me out and supported me for many years. I feel like I’m part of (St. Louis), even if I’m away from them right now,” Molina told The Athletic. “But this is baseball, right? If we decide as a family, if I have a chance to manage, I can manage anywhere … I’d manage the Chicago Cubs, if they want.”
Molina managing the rival Cubs would be quite a sight, not that it’s likely to happen. He’s just noting that, if the time ever comes that he’s willing to manage an MLB team, he wouldn’t close any door. There are only 30 managerial jobs out there and way more than 30 qualified candidates. Molina’s pedigree may give him a leg up for a job, though you can’t always be picky either.
For now, Molina is putting his family over his role with the Cardinals, something he earned the right to do during his playing career. He’s a Cardinals legend who spent close to two decades away from his family to help the team win a lot of games and two World Series titles. My guess is Molina will manage a team one day. He just doesn’t seem to be in a rush to do it.
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