Could leading Puerto Rico in Classic launch Yadi's managerial career? He hopes so

HOUSTON -- Yadier Molina has made no secret of the fact that he hopes to manage in the Major Leagues. Same goes for the former Cardinals teammate with whom he is often associated, Albert Pujols.

With both greats having managed their respective clubs -- Molina with Puerto Rico and Pujols with the Dominican Republic -- to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Molina hopes MLB teams are paying attention.

“Hopefully they take a look and see how ready we are and the way we run things here,” Molina said. “Albert is a baseball man. I wish him the best. Obviously he's doing great things over there in Miami with the Dominican team. And hopefully they look at us and give us a shot at some point.”

Molina’s Puerto Rico club will face Team Italy on Saturday at Daikin Park (3 p.m. ET, FS1). Puerto Rico advanced out of the pool play it hosted in San Juan despite the roster looking much different than hoped. Insurance issues prevented players like Francisco Lindor (who since broke his hamate bone), Carlos Correa, José Berríos and Victor Caratini from participating, though those players and others have still managed to feel a part of the club via a group text chat.

Puerto Rico third baseman Nolan Arenado specifically credited Molina with helping the national team, which went 3-1 in pool play, overcome the roster concerns.

“It starts with Yadi,” Arenado said. “There's no excuses being made. The focus is to continue to focus on winning and going out there and that's what this team has always done. … This group, their head is down and the focus has just been unbelievable and it shows in the way we're playing the game.”

This is the 43-year-old Molina’s second time managing Puerto Rico in the WBC, having also guided the team to the quarterfinals in 2023. A 10-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion and one of the best defensive catchers of his or any era, Molina has also built up his managerial credentials by piloting successful teams in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. And he was recently hired by Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom as a special assistant.

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These experiences all further shape the resume of a respected player who played a particular position that often points to big league managerial success.

But first things first: Molina has a game to win Saturday against an upstart Italian opponent.

“We know we cannot feel overconfident and we cannot underestimate anyone,” he said. “We respect them, but we also have talent and we have the energy and the effort to go after it.”