Even after 19 years, Yadier Molina can't get enough of the St. Louis Cardinals. And the organization that drafted him in the fourth round of the 2000 MLB Draft, clearly felt the same way.
On Wednesday, the franchise announced that it was bringing back its longtime catcher for a front office role as a special assistant to John Mozeliak.
"We are excited to welcome Yadi back to the St. Louis Cardinals," Mozeliak, the Cardinals' president of baseball operations, said in a statement. "He will provide invaluable help at the major league level, as well as spend time with our minor league teams in his new role with the team."
Molina, 41, retired in 2022 after playing 2,224 games and his entire career in St. Louis. He left the game as the MLB leader for the most games played by a catcher for one team (2,184).
In his nearly two decades with the Cardinals, Molina helped St. Louis win two of the four World Series (2006 and 2011) he played in, was a 10-time All-Star and a nine-time Gold Glove winner.
No player for St. Louis has more postseason games played (104) or hits (102) than Molina, and only Stan Musial played more years (22) for the Cardinals.
Molina managed Puerto Rico during the World Baseball Classic.
