Cardinals add Molina to front office as special assistant to Mozeliak

Yadier Molina is returning to the St. Louis Cardinals.

The retired catcher is now special assistant to president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, the team announced Wednesday.

Molina is expected to spend a lot of time providing on-field advice while also contributing in other areas throughout the organization, according to the St. Louis Dispatch's Derrick Goold.

The 41-year-old Molina retired from playing following the 2022 campaign after spending 19 seasons with the Cardinals. The backstop was a 10-time All-Star, nine-time Gold Glover, and two-time World Series champion during his time in St. Louis.

Molina also managed Puerto Rico at the World Baseball Classic in 2023 following his major-league retirement, helping the team reach the quarterfinals before it was eliminated by Mexico.

The Cardinals are coming off a disappointing 2023 campaign where they went 71-91 to finish with a .438 winning percentage, their lowest since 1995.