7 moves the Cardinals could potentially make before Thanksgiving

Yadier Molina

You thought this list was all players, didn't you? Well, finalizing a role for Yadier Molina on the Cardinals coaching staff for 2024 would be a huge offseason addition.

A lot went wrong with the Cardinals in 2023, and although I strongly believe adding the necessary pitching can make a huge difference, this team is also in desperate need of revamping their coaching staff. While many fans would like to see that revamp include firing manager Oli Marmol, we all know that is not happening, but adding to his coaching staff is a priority for this front office.

The Cardinals have a smaller coaching staff than many other organizations, so adding a few more voices to the mix would be a welcomed addition. The highest profile name of them all is Molina, who could provide more leadership to this Cardinals' team and help improve directly in areas of weakness from last year: defense behind the plate and the pitching staff.

Molina was an all-time great defensive catcher and someone who pitchers rave about. He mastered the game defensively as a catcher, and also became the pitching staff's best friend, taking a huge load off of their shoulders by calling pitches at a high level for many years.

Willson Contreras was excellent at the plate this year, but behind the plate, things were a different story. Contreras was never supposed to be some wizard behind the plate defensively, and the Cardinals deserve a ton of criticism for how they set him up for failure by expecting that from him, but he also has room to grow in that area, and Molina can be a large part of that. Molina and Contreras have been friends for a while as well, so there is a natural respect and connection already built in.

The Cardinals' pitching staff would surely receive a massive boost as well. Having Molina around to help gameplan for opposing teams, make in-game adjustments, call pitches from the dugout, and provide veteran leadership to the entire dugout would go a long way toward turning this ship around.

It's no secret that Molina wants to be a manager in the future, and getting into the Cardinals' dugout now will set him up to be a manager in the near future, whether that's with St. Louis or another team. While many player transactions may take a while to occur, this coaching hire could be done at any time.