As the St. Louis Cardinals embark on a transformative period heading into 2025, one steady presence will be manager Oliver Marmol. With the organization poised to undergo a soft rebuild, Marmol’s performance next season will likely be evaluated on a different set of metrics, with wins and losses taking a backseat. Instead, his ability to develop young talent, foster a positive team culture, and navigate the challenges of a rebuilding process will be under scrutiny.
Adding to the pressure, Marmol will also be looking to make a strong impression on his new boss, as the Cardinals’ front office has undergone significant changes.
Oliver Marmol’s Status Heading Into Next Season
The Cardinals skipper signed a two-year extension to his contract heading into the 2024 season. So, he is under contract through the end of the 2026 season. The team has committed to at least starting the 2025 season with him at the helm.
The Cardinals have missed the postseason for consecutive seasons under Marmol. He led the team to the postseason in 2022 in his first season with the team and has not been back since. It’s the first time the Cardinals have missed the playoffs in consecutive years since a three-year drought from 2016 to 2018. Mike Matheny was manager through that time and was fired mid-season during the 2018 season.
While Marmol appeared to be on the hot-seat in 2024, the Cardinal’s mid-season success kept them in contention until the last month of the season. He has a .508 record as a manager with two out of three seasons with a winning record.
What The Organization is Looking For
The Cardinals have shifted their focus next season to developing young talent. There are not high expectations for making the postseason. However, several stars expressed interest in staying on the team, which may surprise people. Instead, Marmol will likely be evaluated on how the young players progress.
“Our baseball decisions going forward will focus on developing our pipeline of players, giving our young core every opportunity to succeed at the major league level,” said Cardinals owner Bill Dewitt Jr. in the team’s postseason press conference.
So far, prospect development has been a mixed bag under Marmol’s leadership. Players like Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman seem to have regressed. However, players like Masyn Winn and Andre Pallante just saw breakout seasons in 2024.
Success for the Cardinals will depend on rebounding some of those struggling players, positive signs from rookies like Thomas Saggese, and inserting young pitchers into successful positions.
Answering to a New Boss
2025 will be the final season for John Mozeliak as president of baseball operations for the Cardinals. He fired previous manager Mike Schildt with some controversy as the team made the postseason in both of Schildt’s full seasons with the team. Mozeliak hired Marmol and extended him, expressing confidence in the first-time manager heading into the 2024 season after an NL Central last-place finish in 2023.
Mozeliak told reporters he didn’t want to have a lame-duck manager going into the 2024 season. After the 2025 season, when the organization is staring at the same situation as Marmol, it won’t be Mozeliak who will decide Marmol’s future. It will be Chaim Bloom, the former Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox executive.
Bloom spent 2024 as an advisor to Mozeliak with the Cardinals. He will step into Mozeliak’s role at the end of the 2025 season. When the team announced the plan at the end of this season, Bloom said he would evaluate how the Cardinals do everything.
Presumably, that will include what is happening in the dugout for the Cardinals. If Bloom likes the development he sees in 2025, perhaps he will extend Marmol again. He will also have that opportunity if he’d instead insert his manager into the fold after the season.
Main Photo Credits: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
