Yadier Molina's return to MLB would come with a big catch for Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals will keep manager Oli Marmol for the 2026 season. This much we do know, according to president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, who is familiar with Marmol's work and has enjoyed watching him from afar, especially as it pertains to working with young players. St. Louis is trending in that direction – trading away veteran talent for lottery tickets and proven young players – and Marmol should be given the chance to oversee that rebuild up close. He earned that after overachieving in 2025 with a roster that, frankly, didn't receive the investment it deserved.

The Cardinals lack of direction over the last few years of the John Mozeliak era were obvious, and set them back. Mozeliak wanted to win and retool at the same time. Because of this, he made rash judgements, all the while failing to invest in the organization where they needed him most. Mozeliak has a World Series to his name and is an accomplished executives who deserves his flowers, but the last couple of years in St. Louis should be left off his resume.

Bloom, despite all of his flaws in Boston, does know how to build a strong farm system and retool on the cheap. That is why ownership brought him in to begin with. and it's exactly what they'll expect. For once, the organization (top to bottom) is invested in the same thing. Marmol, as manager, would ideally get a long leash since the on-field results might not be there right away. However, the return of a franchise icon could change all of that.

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Yadier Molina reveals he's ready to manage again, but will the Cardinals call?

Marmol got ahead of his own demise by offering Molina a spot on his coaching staff if he wants it. There's a chance Molina could receive a few managerial interviews, but his lack of MLB coaching experience could also cost him those opportunities. While his former teammate Albert Pujols is the frontrunner to land the Angels job, Molina doesn't have that kind of connection with an owner. Pujols and Arte Moreno are connected at the hip, for better or worse.

Molina's best bet could be to stick around St. Louis, work from the ground up with this coaching staff and the young players at his disposal, and prove he deserves a chance – whether it be with the Cardinals or elsewhere. Marmol's leash won't last forever, despite what Bloom says now. If Molina impresses both in the clubhouse and in player development, who's to say he wouldn't be the next man up?

Why giving Yadier Molina a chance comes with some risk

Molina has managed in LIDOM and the World Baseball Classic. He isn't entirely new to this, and as a result brings his own coaching style. Should it not match with Marmol's, there a chance a franchise icon who's pulled as much weight as Molina could cause some conflict. Now, Molina doesn't have a history of doing such things as a player, so that would be a major surprise.

The biggest risk in hiring Molina, however, is that they'll lose him to another suitor. As a former catcher – and a great one at that – few people understand the game as well as Yadi. He can work with pitchers, position players and coaches. He was basically a player-coach in his final years with the Cardinals anyway. St. Louis may believe in Marmol, but giving him another opportunity over Molina could come back to haunt them should Yadi part ways. Bloom can't afford to drag his feet on this one.