Aug 9, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals guest coach Yadier Molina (4) looks on from the dugout during the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Yadier Molina Lays Down Gauntlet for Young Cardinals Squad

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Feb 17, 2026 9:00 AM ET

Yadier Molina is back in the building this year, and St. Louis Cardinals fans can afford to get excited about his impact.

Molina, the legendary catcher who retired as a player at the end of the 2022 season, is returning to the organization this year as a special assistant to president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. His job is to help mentor the catchers in the organization, with a special focus on developing the young players in the system.

However, Molina doesn't need to limit his mentorship to just the team's backstops on all occasions. On Monday, he was present for the first full-team workout of the spring, and he had a message to share about his expectations for this very young team.

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Yadier Molina doesn't want Cards to stop thinking World Series

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Molina's quote focused on the tradition and clubhouse culture of the Cardinals, but he also asserted that even in a year many see as the start of a "rebuild," it's important for the players to still think they're competing for the ultimate prize in the sport.

“It wasn’t that different because we had the same message,” Molina said of the club's first full-team meeting of the year, per Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat. “We’re gonna compete. We’re gonna try to win the (World) Series.

"We’ve got a bunch of new faces, a bunch of new guys, young guys. They don’t know about our tradition, about how we go about it, the Cardinal way. That’s what the message was.”

Molina wasn't the only legend present in the clubhouse as manager Oli Marmol presided over the team. Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith also took part in the proceedings, per Jones.

There are so many excellent former Cardinals that still keep close ties to the franchise, and that's bound to help as St. Louis attempts to rediscover its winning formula with a young roster. And Molina, thanks to his willingness to return to the club, will get to see a lot of it unfold firsthand.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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