ST. LOUIS – It didn’t take long for Yadier Molina to return to the St. Louis Cardinals in some capacity after retiring last year.

Molina will become the new “special assistant to the president of baseball operations,” according to an announcement Wednesday from the Cardinals via Twitter.

No roster moves yet for Cardinals at Winter Meetings, but plenty to unpack

“We are excited to welcome Yadi back to the St. Louis Cardinals,” said John Mozeliak, the team’s current president of baseball operations. “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.”

The Cardinals have not yet disclosed all of what Molina’s role will entail, but the title likely means some form of collaboration with Mozeliak. Molina’s new role is also not one directly related to a full-time coaching staff role at the MLB level.

FOX 2 Sports Director Martin Kilcoyne reported in October that Molina and the Cardinals had previously discussed coaching opportunities, and there was some degree of mutual interest.

A previous report from ESPN last week noted Molina would prepare to become a special advisor for the Cardinals this season and hoped to gain experience for a MLB manager position in the long-term.

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Molina managed Puerto Rico during the World Baseball Classic last spring and has also had some coaching and leadership experience with various professional baseball and basketball teams overseas.

As the Cardinals’ lead backstop from 2004-2022, Molina won two World Series titles and was instrumental for pitchers’ development throughout his career. Previously, Molina reportedly mentioned various offers in the United States to coach over the past few years.

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