Also, the coaching staff often allowed him to conduct the preparation meetings, took his advice on construction of the starting rotation, and when to remove tiring pitchers. On September 10, 2018, he was selected to be part of the 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series as a member of the MLB All-Stars team. Managerial career Molina's first experience managing was with Puerto Rico's U-23 baseball team, in both the qualifiers for and actual tournament of the 2018 U-23 Baseball World Cup. Puerto Rico dropped its first three games to the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and South Korea, preventing it from moving on in the tournament. However, Molina managed the team to four more victories in the group stage and consolation round. In 2022, Molina announced that he would be managing the Navegantes del Magallanes in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, having been recruited by former major leaguer Pablo Sandoval. Molina said the opportunity could open the door to managing a team in MLB, saying that Navegantes was "something different, and I’d like to try it early and see how it goes. And then after, I can decide if I want to do it [in the United States]." Also in 2022, Molina was announced as manager of the Puerto Rico national team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. The appointment created some controversy in Puerto Rico after the resignation of team general manager Eduardo Pérez, who had reportedly sought to name Astros bench coach Joe Espada to the position. Skills profile Defense, pitch calling, throwing and hands The winner of eight consecutive Gold Gloves, Molina has been widely praised for his preparation, defense and leadership, not just of the pitching staff, but also of the entire team, even from Johnny Bench. Fellow catchers Jorge Posada and Brian McCann stated in 2009 that Molina was "the best defensive catcher in baseball"; Víctor Martínez also called him "the best behind the plate." In 2013, a scout pronounced Molina the "one piece the St. Louis Cardinals cannot lose" while another commented that he is "irreplaceable." When the club did lose Molina midway through the 2014 season to a thumb injury, ESPN's Keith Law tweeted, "Yadier Molina missing two-plus months would be bad for the Cardinals, but also just bad for baseball, period." In his time in the major leagues, Molina has been widely viewed as evolving into a competitive influence and an unofficial on-field coach. As