Locked On Cardinals - Daily Podcast On The St. Louis Cardinals - The Latest On Yadi Returning To The St. Louis Cardinals

Starting point is 00:00:00 Yadda here, Molina continues to dangle a carrot in front of our faces about returning to St. Louis. We've got the latest on his situation and why it may not be just the Cardinals who are on his list. You are locked on Cardinals. Your daily St. Louis Cardinals podcast, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Hey there, Cardinals fans. I'm J.D. Hafford, a former national radio sports anchor. Born and raised in St. Louis and a lifetime Cardinals fan. I'm your host for Locktown Cardinals, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, covering your team every day. Thank you to our everydayers for being here with us throughout the season and now into the off season we go.

Starting point is 00:00:44 And for those of you who are new, welcome in. I hope you enjoy the Cardinals content that we bring you. This is a show serving Cardinal Nation and giving the best fans in baseball, all of the info about the birds on the bat. Today's episode brought to you by Fandul. Football season is here. Visit the Fandual app today and start planning your futures bets now. on today's episode, I want to get into some cardinal confessions and get your reactions to things that we've been talking about recently, the Mike Schilt situation in San Diego, which is blown up. I did not see that coming.

Starting point is 00:01:17 Thoughts on the Yvonne Herrera discussion that we had recently about trading guys away from the catching depth in the organization. Yvon Herrera is one of the guys people are calling about, apparently. but we're going to talk about first and foremost, the news that is got St. Louis buzzing right now. and everybody around town is talking about Yadi or Molina. Yadi this and yadi that. What's Yadi going to do? Is he coming back to the Cardinals? Well, the Cardinals screw this up.

Starting point is 00:01:48 So many different things that people are talking about in reference to what Yadi just recently did. And it sort of reminds me, before we get to it, it sort of reminds me of, of a situation that I've been through now twice. Totally different sport, but as a fan and now an owner, I had a similar situation with Brett Farb and Aaron Rogers during their time with the Green Bay Packers. Now hear me out real quick. Both of these guys were near the end of their careers with the team.

Starting point is 00:02:21 And they kept wavering, really. They kept wavering on what they were going to do. With Brett, it was all the retirement talk one week. He's done the next week. once to play again. Then he actually said he retired. It got really old and really drawn out and very annoying. Eventually, the team moved on gave Aaron Rogers his job. Brett got mad. He ends up getting traded on my birthday, no less, to the New York Jets, which really sucked because he was my favorite player, goes to New York, doesn't do much there, goes to the Vikings, has a couple good seasons,

Starting point is 00:02:53 and then he retires for good. Rogers, who was still in the league, by the way, he's playing tonight. We're doing this show on Thursday playing tonight with the Steelers against the Bengals. And he kept us hanging around by a threat about wanting to be traded or not getting traded. He wasn't really threatening retirement so much. But he'd bring it up once in a while. He would make social media posts, little cryptic ones that would have, you know, everyone talking and speculating about what he was going to do. Sometimes he would do it just to mess with people. And eventually that got really annoying as well.

Starting point is 00:03:28 Now, some of it was driven by the media, but it was a constant story over his last couple years in Green Bay before he also got shipped to the New York Jets and didn't do much there. He's now in Pittsburgh where they were four and one coming into Thursday nights game. Now, the Yadi stuff, it's similar to me in that we keep getting hints, right? We keep getting hints that he wants to be with the Cardinals. We thought he was coming back to be in that advisor role a couple years ago that day. hitting end up happening. He decided he wasn't ready to do stuff like that. Last year, he finally made his return to Bush Stadium. Came back to the team for a couple of home series.

Starting point is 00:04:07 It was in uniform, was in the dugout. He delivered the lineups. He got the ovation from the crowd. It was great. Then last week, he does an interview saying he's, you know, and I'm a paraphrase, he's in discussions with the Cardinals about becoming a member of Ali Marmal's staff. he made it a point to say, Ali is the manager, but that they, you know,

Starting point is 00:04:31 they were talking about him coming back in 2026. Now the latest carrot that is being diggled is an Instagram post from Yadi. And I'm going to put it up on the screen for you guys who are watching the YouTube version. And obviously I'll read this out loud for the audio audience. But it says throughout my career, I've had countless satisfactions both on and off the field. After three years away from the lines, I'm ready to return to the field,

Starting point is 00:05:02 whether as a coach or manager in Major League Baseball, Mexico, or wherever I can continue my baseball career contributing and giving back to the sport I'm passionate about. And the photo that accompanies this post, again, for my audio people, is of Yadi in a cardinal uniform, cardinal gear. I guess I can't say it's a. uniform, but in his cardinal gear from this past season at Bush Stadium when he was talking with the media out on the field. Now, if I put my Sherlock Holmes deer stalker hat on, and that is the name of the hat Sherlock Holmes famously wears,

Starting point is 00:05:42 not so much in the Robert Downey Jr. movies, but like, you know, in anything else you've seen wear that, that's silly looking at. It's called a Deer Stocker hat. I had to look that out. So here's what I can deduce from this. All right, first off, leaking in that recent interview that he's speaking with the Cardinals and then posting something like this while wearing Cardinals gear in the photo, I think that bodes well for him coming back to St. Louis and joining Ali's staff. He could have chosen to post himself wearing anything from when he was with team Puerto Rico if he wanted to. He could have been in the Venezuelan League uniform when he was a manager for them back in 2022. He could have chose a different path in a different uniform. And he chose specifically to use

Starting point is 00:06:37 himself in Cardinals gear and not from when he was a player when he only played for the one team, although he could have done team Puerto Rico too there, but specifically from this past season after his playing career. And I know that, uh, BK and Ferrario on 101 ESPN had a chance to talk to Heinz Blume, president of baseball operations for the Cardinals. And the first thing they asked him about was Yadi's post. And he didn't really commit to anything, but he said things like, and again, I'm going to paraphrase here. I don't have the exact quotes, but he said things like, you know, it should make baseball fans happy that Yadi wants to be back. He said that he'll always be a part of this family.

Starting point is 00:07:22 seeing exactly what that looks like going forward, that he's looking forward to figuring that out as far as Yadi possibly rejoining the Cardle's organization in a capacity as a coach, did not shoot down the idea that he, that he's coming back or deny that they've had any discussions. He basically played it right down the middle. But in my opinion, to me, following the tea leaves that I see here, it feels like something is brewing and that,

Starting point is 00:07:52 Hime, Ali, and the organization are still just kind of working out what his role and job would ultimately be for this upcoming season. At the same time, it also feels like to me that he was putting some feelers out there to the rest of the league that, hey, I'm here and ready if anyone is interested in talking to me about any jobs. I think that if something was set in stone between the Cardinals and Yadi, they would just stay mom until the official announcement. I don't know why they would be like, yeah, go ahead.

Starting point is 00:08:28 Yaddy post that, you know, if something was ready to roll. There are a lot of openings, a lot of openings for managers right now in Major League Baseball. Those managers are going to need staff members. There are eight openings, if I'm not mistaken. You had Mike Schilt, who just stepped down from the Padres, Braves, Orioles, Rockies, Angels, Giants, Twins, and Nationals. Now, something that has popped up recently

Starting point is 00:08:57 was the Albert Poolehold side of things. We all assumed when we heard the reports that Albert was going to be taking that job with the Angels made perfect sense, right? He's got a relationship with them, played for them, has that personal services contract with them. Reports say that he still is the favorite to get it. But then we heard that the Orioles are also interested

Starting point is 00:09:21 in him. And another report just came out about Angel's owner Ardi Moreno wanting to do a more comprehensive process before figuring out who his manager is going to be. So maybe there'll be a bidding war between teams to pull Albert Pooholes in as their manager. Maybe Albert goes to Baltimore. I don't know. Now with Yadhi, it's not that I think that he's going to follow Albert, although that's a possibility. But if Albert says, hey, I want you to be my assistant. coach and come with me to Baltimore, L.A. and do this with us. I'm sure he'd think about it. Personally, I think I would guess that Yadi just, and again, I don't know him, but it seems like he's somebody who would love to blaze his own path and do his own thing.

Starting point is 00:10:08 So I'm not so much concerned that he would leave a chance to be with the Cardinals to go with Albert as a coach. But what it feels like to me is that he's on board with joining the Cardinals as a coach and a member of Ali's staff. But if the team wants to talk to him about being a manager and wants to give him that title, he's not going to turn it down to just be a coach with the Cardinals. I mean, why would he? Loyalty be damned.

Starting point is 00:10:35 If you get an opportunity to be a manager of a major league baseball team, you take it and you run if that's your ultimate goal. There would be no reason why you would not do that. And I don't see the Cardinals trying to hold him back from pursuing something like that. I think they're being very polite about it. Like, look, dude, we get it. We understand that. Which is kind of the hence that, well, he'll always be family line that Hyne Bloom gave us in that interview.

Starting point is 00:11:07 That like, you know, if he decides to stay, beautiful. If he gets an opportunity and goes somewhere else, cool, because he's always going to be family. So whether he stays or goes, there's no, it will here. But I think that I think Hime and I think they want him to be a part of the staff next year, if nothing else opens up for him, that they're like, yeah, we're good to go. If that happens and nobody offers him a managerial job, I believe you're going to see him in a Cardinals uniform next season. Now, if somebody decides they want to make him a manager, then all bets are off.

Starting point is 00:11:43 And as much as I help this in soon so we can move on with their lives, we might get stuck waiting until Yadi either does or doesn't get any offers to be a manager for any of these teams. So it might be something that we have to wait for until after the playoffs and the World Series and everything is over. And if nothing comes up, perhaps he settles in with the Cardinals again. So leave your thoughts on what I've said here on all of this. Down below in the comments section, you can hit me up on X at L0 underscore Cardinals as well. We're going to get into the Cardinal Confessions. A lot of people chiming in about Mike Schultz

Starting point is 00:12:19 and the new information that's been coming out about the issues in San Diego. And we're also going to be discussing the Yvonne Herrera stuff that we brought up in a previous episode this week. So all of that coming away here on Locked on Cardinals. The NFL season is here. And Fandul has an offer you don't want to miss. Right now any customers can bet just $5. And get $300 in bonus bets if you win.

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Starting point is 00:13:20 My package are in Arizona. Arizona. Patriots at the Titans is the one I'm looking at. Titans are a mess, dude. They just fired their coach. Give me New England and the six and a half points. All freaking day. New England has been very impressive to me. And I think they, I think they smoke them. Whether you're a casual fan or love diving into the stats, Fandall is going to make watching football even that much more exciting for you when you've got a little something writing on the action. So what are you waiting for? This is fandole.com to download the Fandulap today and get started. Thanks for making Locked on Cardinals, your first listen every day. If you enjoy Daily Cardinals content, you can follow the podcast on X at L0 underscore Cardinals.

Starting point is 00:14:01 We're also on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram at Locks on Cardinals as well. If you're watching on the on the tube here, I got the Cardinals Blues version. Boy, dude, that sucked last night, getting killed by the by the Blackhawks at home. What are we doing there, boys? Anyway, it's time for Cardinal Confessions, where I take your responses from past episodes and discussions and I don't put your name out there and put you on blast for anything or call you out. We just discuss the comments in an open forum. So we're going to start with the Mike Schilt stuff because shockingly, this became a bigger topic that I really thought

Starting point is 00:14:38 it was going to be. It's kind of my fault for underestimating the gravity of the story and how it affects the fans here in St. Louis because I'm one of those guys who just I turn the page as quick as I can. If things go bad, I just, let's move on. Let's go, let's go to the next thing and let's start moving forward, uh, like Mark McGuire. I'm not, I'm not here to talk about the past, but, um, I know that the shadow of Mike Schilt still lingers at Bush Stadium because he won. He won a lot of games as a manager while he was here and then he was unceremoniously fired with little insight as to why, except the, you know, the famous phrase philosophical differences. Um, Now we see what has happened to Mike Schilt in San Diego.

Starting point is 00:15:26 Mike Schilt technically stepped down and retired from his job with the Padres with two years remaining on his contract. Said, you know, stress and wasn't getting sleep physically. He was taking a toll on him. And, you know, when that first came out, you're like, all right, you know, he's taking care of himself. Good for him. But as more investigating has been done into the situation and more information has been coming out, about what it was like in San Diego with Mike Schilt. We're starting to learn that things weren't exactly smooth sailing between him and the coaching staff and the front office.

Starting point is 00:16:04 I still haven't heard anything about players having any issues with him. We didn't hear about players having any issues with him when he was in St. Louis either. But you get a more behind the scenes look at it when you listen to some of these guys like Randy Carriker, who I adore. I think the dude is awesome. And he was talking about this earlier today about Mike Schilt's temper and brought up about, you know, how he would talk down to people and treated people in the organization, not so great, just not, you know, certain members had a kind of would snap back at people,

Starting point is 00:16:46 even people who were ahead of them, which I'm assuming are guys like John Moseilac that he snap at them about stuff and it just created a lot of tension. So that was the issues in St. Louis. And apparently this carried over into San Diego. And a lot of the same issues that were around during his time with the Cardinals were now popping up again with the Padres. But fans, you know, here in St. Louis, they're very loyal. And they still feel a connection with Mike Schilt for the time that he had with the organization

Starting point is 00:17:19 and the fact that he won. So a couple of responses here to what went on with Schilt. I don't think Schilt will ever want to manage again, but I believe he would be a great hire to come back and run the Cardinals minor league system like he successfully did before. They brought him up to manage the team in St. Louis. We'll see. You know, Hime Bloom doesn't really have any sort of relationship with Mike Schult

Starting point is 00:17:42 that I'm aware of. So that would be something they would have to figure out. But it feels like Himes got the people that he wants in place running. things right now the way he wants to run. He said he would he would add to the staff and would be up for that kind of stuff, whether Mike Schilt is somebody that he wants to bring in. I doubt it, but that's one thought from a listener. Here's another one. He says being an MLB manager was too stressful for him in his health, but he never said he was retiring permanently from what I've read. Give him a year off and then the DeWitts can make him an offer to return to his roots. I don't

Starting point is 00:18:15 care who Bloom hired for the minor leagues. He won't be better than Schell. Okay. Another one. The whole philosophical differences were always clear to me. It's a term used in decision making all the time. The Cardinals have the Cardinals way, and he had his own way that he felt he had the right to have as a manager. I'm a lifetime Cardinals fan, but they tend to play the game from the front office and not on the field a lot. If you have to micromanage your manager, then he wasn't the right fit. However, unless he's a consistent loser, which Schult was the opposite, let him coach. at some point in any profession, you get tired of someone not trusting you to do your job,

Starting point is 00:18:53 especially if you're doing it correctly. I think it's great that he is putting his overall well-being first. You only get one shot at this life thing, and it was on his terms in a positive light. Okay. Yeah, these are some thoughts that I get it. You know, it came as a shock when show was fired. I didn't know all of the behind-the-scenes stuff that was going on and that there was, and I don't want to use the word abusive because that feels like it takes it to a whole different level, but there was personality issues that were clashing. You know, I see what happens on the field. I get the interviews and that's what I go off of.

Starting point is 00:19:34 I'm not in the clubhouse and I'm not in meetings or anything with these guys. So, you know, it's hard for me to know these things. But, you know, you're hearing the stuff getting leaked out now in San Diego. and it makes you think that at least the Cardinals were cool enough to not bring these things to light. They were like, look, there was an issue and we're moving on. So kudos to Bo. One more here. LMAO, laughing my A-off.

Starting point is 00:20:01 He got retired with two years left on his contract. I will say that was classy by the Padres ownership instead of saying he is fired. After winning a playoff game, you had to know his days were numbered. He will never manage another MLB game. You know, he's 57. People have come back at older ages than Mike Schilt to be a manager again. But it's certainly a possibility that, you know, that's two places that, you know, they were winning.

Starting point is 00:20:28 They were winning regular season ball games, at least didn't do as well in the playoffs as you would like. And then he was gone. And there appears to be similarities with why he is out. Now when he was let go in St. Louis, you know, it was stated that it had nothing to do with on the field stuff. It wasn't because of winning or losing. It had nothing to do with the playoff games. It had nothing to do with bringing in Reyes and giving a boom run to Chris Taylor. It was all behind the scenes. And now we're hearing about behind the scenes issues in San Diego. And the one thing in common here is Mike Scheldt. So interesting stuff to say the least

Starting point is 00:21:06 that maybe he's a little more difficult than we thought to get along with. So we wish him the best. I'm not wishing any ill will towards Mike Schilt. Maybe it takes a couple years off and somebody comes calling again. Teams love to get managers who win ball games. And Sheltie certainly won ball games at both locations. All right, we're going to talk about the catching situation and the possibility. Didn't say they needed to, but the possibility of trading away Von Herrera, that's coming up next on Locked on Cardinals.

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Starting point is 00:23:26 Locked on MLB YouTube channel wherever you listen to your podcast. I am one of the hosts of MLB Game Night, so I'd love to see more Cardinals fans coming by, saying hi, even though we're here in the offseason. Did an episode about the catching depth that the Cardinals possess earlier in the week and how the Cardinals will have, again, four catchers on their 40-man roster next year. Yvonne Herrera, if you still think he's a catcher, Pedro Pahez, Jimmy Crooks, and prospect Leonardo Bernal, who will be Rule 5 eligible. So they're not going to want to lose him.

Starting point is 00:23:57 So they're going to put him on that list. I don't know what this means for Joe Al Pozo. Maybe they can sign him to a minor league deal or something where he doesn't have to be on the 40-man. I think Derek Gold was the one who mentioned something like that. So don't know if he's going to be around or not. If he's not a huge loss by any means, I'm sure somebody will pick him up. But the word was that teams were calling the Cardinals about their depth at catching. And that Ivan Herrera's name had been brought up a few times as someone teams are interested in for obvious reasons.

Starting point is 00:24:31 So here are some of the reactions to the discussion and the possibility of trading Ivan Herrera away for other pieces. I think we need to hold on to Herrera and wait and see what happens with Leonardo Bernal. I think they do need to make some trades there, though. What we really need to do is address pitching. All right. So my response to that is, if you want good pitching prospects in return, you've got to trade good catching prospects. And you're not going to get that from Pedro Paz, probably.

Starting point is 00:25:02 You're going to have to trade. Crooks, Bernal, right now Rodriguez, although he's 18, and you probably don't want to do that. Or Van Herrera. You know, you usually. get more back when you trade a better player. At least Herrera, we know his bat plays at the major league level. I don't have a lot of confidence in him as a catcher at this point in his career, but they're going to give it a try again. But keep that in mind that if you trade a pahas,

Starting point is 00:25:31 who's basically just an offensive catcher, then you're not going to get a whole lot in return. Here's another one. Herrera is the only offensive light in this team. If they trade him, that will be the last straw for me. Just put him anywhere or just DH. I agree. I don't want to trade him either. I don't want him behind the plate. I don't think he's good enough. I would love to see him at first base, D.H, or left field, because he runs well.

Starting point is 00:25:56 He's a good athlete. There's another one. I think including crooks in a trade deal makes sense, but the Cardinals need to keep that core of catchers intact for the near future. Herrera really doesn't make much sense moving back to catcher at this point. His throwing arm isn't good enough compared to the other two catchers on the roster, making Herrera the backup. Two Contreras at first base makes more sense.

Starting point is 00:26:16 Yeah. I'm the guy that thinks Herrera should be a first baseman at this point in his career. Something about that throwing arm too. Remember, he's having elbow surgery. He dropped this photo on Instagram of him after surgery, laying in bed there, his throwing arm in a sling, which is, you know, something you don't ever want to see one of your ball players in. but yeah, he's determined to work his way back and improve his throwing abilities and defensive abilities. I just, he just seems like a first basement of me.

Starting point is 00:26:52 Last one. It also depends on who would be coming back in the trade. It might be a can't miss power hitting young outfield. There's someone like a Roman Anthony and it could take more than Herrera or maybe a couple of very good starting pitchers, pitching prospects. Never say never. Mo? Mo? Is that you? That was his line, you know, that nobody was ever untradable. Because if someone offered you an obscene amount of prospects and players in return,

Starting point is 00:27:19 you could make the case to trade anyway. That was always Mo's philosophy. But it appears most of the fans agree with me and that Herrera, you don't want to trade them. Herrera should be a part of the solution in turning this team around, not someone you're looking to deal away to find or hopefully find other solutions. you never know you never know um but to me he seems like a guy that you know needs to be one of your middle of the order guys especially if you're going to be trading away no one arnato i know he's more of like a you know a sixth hitter now but i don't know i don't want to trade him i love avon herrera i think he's awesome so i just got to find a spot for him and i just don't think it's going to be

Starting point is 00:28:04 behind the plate but they're going to give him a chance to do that all right thank you as always for your responses to the videos. I appreciate it more than you know. And thank you for making Locked on Cardinals. Your first listen every day. If you haven't already, give us a follow on exit, L.1 underscore Cardinals into JD Sports Radio. We're on TikTok, Instagram, at Lockedong Cardinals. Obviously, you can find us on YouTube as well. If you are watching us on YouTube and you haven't already, please like, please subscribe. It helps our channel so much. You have no idea. The algorithms and stuff that we've got to figure out to spread the love of the St. Louis Cardinals to more people that's what we're looking for so like subscribe if you haven't already you guys are the best

Starting point is 00:28:40 fans in baseball for a reason and i will see you next time on locked on cardinals

Locked On Cardinals - Daily Podcast On The St. Louis Cardinals - The Latest On Yadi Returning To The St. Louis Cardinals

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