Latest Yadier Molina news moves him closer to fully joining the Cardinals

Last December, it was announced that former player and future Hall of Famer Yadier Molina was named a special assistant to team President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak. Fans were elated to hear that one of their favorite players of this century was returning to bring the team up from the ashes that were left following the 2023 season.

At the time of the announcement, John Mozeliak said, "We are excited to welcome Yadi back to the St. Louis Cardinals. 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.” It wasn't fully clear what he would do with the minor or major league teams, but his presence alone was promising.

Instead of seeing Yadi donning the Birds on the Bat on the bench in Busch Stadium or hearing about his effect in the clubhouse and on the field, fans saw and heard virtually nothing regarding Yadi's effect on the team. Frustration began to fester as the Cardinals' postseason chances faded and nothing was heard of regarding the organization's newest special assistant.

Fans speculated at the time of his hire that it was a stepping stone to Yadi becoming manager of the Cardinals. After all, he led Puerto Rico's national team to a strong performance in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. If Oliver Marmol were fired, Yadi's name would have theoretically been at or near the top of the list as a replacement.

Molina's interests were overseas rather than in St. Louis apparently. He became the manager and owner of a Puerto Rican basketball team, Vaqueros de Bayamon, in 2020. He led the team to a championship in his first year. Molina also missed time in 2022 with the Cardinals to handle business with his basketball team abroad.

However, it's possible that Molina's time may free up next year. It's been reported that he is considering selling the historic National Superior Basketball franchise to producer Eric Duars. If this deal goes through, Molina will be able to travel more often and not worry about a basketball team. According to Jorde Figueroa Loza, "'Yes, there are talks to sell, and Eric Duars may have reached an agreement because he is from the metro area,' said a source to El Nuevo Día, who preferred to remain anonymous because the transaction is not yet official."

With Oli Marmol on the hot seat this winter and Yadier Molina potentially returning to St. Louis full-time, there's a chance the former Cardinal legend will supplant Marmol as the team's manager in 2025.