5 ways the Cardinals can embarrass themselves further this offseason

Number 5: Letting Yadier Molina go somewhere else

The biggest change for the Cardinals moving from 2022 to 2023 was the departure of Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina. Initially, the absence of these two leaders in the clubhouse and Cardinals legends went underrated as most believed the Cardinals would still win the division with their current core. However, tensions quickly rose as Oli Marmol and Tyler O'Neill had an early-season disagreement, and the organization lost faith in Willson Contreras rather quickly. The clubhouse chemistry seemingly crumbled overnight, and Pujols and Molina were sorely missed.

With reports that the Cardinals and Yadier Molina are both open to having the future Hall of Famer on the coaching staff next season, they cannot miss this opportunity. Molina's presence in the clubhouse would be a major stabilizing factor, especially as Adam Wainwright has retired as well. Having a familiar face with such a wealth of baseball wisdom would be hugely beneficial.

It's no secret Molina will be looking for managerial opportunities soon, and it's obvious he would prefer that role in St. Louis. Starting with a bench coach role and looking at him as the manager of the future is the best way to do it. It's been reported Molina received coaching offers with the Miami Marlins last season and probably will draw interest from other teams, but his clear preference would be the Cardinals.

For a leader as valuable as Molina, the Cardinals cannot allow him to land anywhere else. If Molina wants to return to MLB as a coach next year, the Cardinals must choose to bring him back. Allowing him to manage for another team would be a massive embarrassment.