Cardinals: Ranking bench coach replacements for St. Louis

The St. Louis Cardinals had new leadership in the clubhouse during the 2022 season with a first year manager in Oli Marmol and new bench coach Skip Schumaker joining him in the dug out. The success of that new leadership got Schumaker a managerial gig in Miami, and now leaves a new opening at bench coach for St. Louis.

Many names have been floated out as potential replacements for Schumaker, as the Cardinals could go many different directions. Whether it is a former player, a promotion on Marmol’s staff, or someone else within the organization, the Cardinals have a lot of good options to choose form.

Here are the four best options to replace Schumaker as the Cardinals new bench coach in 2023.

#4 – Yadier Molina

The Cardinal legend got his farewell tour in 2022 as he wrapped up his playing career, but the future Hall of Famer is no where close to being done with the game of baseball.

Yadier Molina lives and breathes baseball. He sees the game on a level that few others do. The 40-year old is interested in managing gigs moving forward, and already has opportunities lined up as the Puerto Rico National Team manager and with teams in Venezuela.

If Molina sees himself as a Major League manager in the future, taking on the Cardinals bench coach role in 2023 could be the fast track to a role with another club. In consecutive seasons, the Cardinals bench coach has become a manager after the season (Marmol and Schumaker), and the role would give Molina a chance to show teams around the league that his on-field managing translates to full-time in the dugout.

He’d be a great fit for St. Louis, but it seems more likely that Molina will pursue his other opportunities. If he has interest though, St. Louis should make a strong offer.