Cardinals reportedly targeting an extension with Mike Shildt

In the wake of a narrow NL Wild Card loss, the St. Louis Cardinals lean toward coaching continuity with a potential Mike Shildt extension on the table.

In bad seasons, baseball managers get blamed for letting the team fall apart or failing to coordinate with the right coaching staff.

In good seasons, the team may still look to innovate where they can by recruiting new talent.

In St. Louis, Cardinals management made a mid-season decision to stick with who they had, backing Mike Shildt as manager. The stability that decision provided propelled them to the playoffs. The foundation Shildt built is something this promising Cardinals squad is looking to build upon in 2022 and beyond.

St. Louis Cardinals already targeting extension with manager Mike Shildt

While Shildt is already signed on as Cardinals manager through 2022, team management will discuss whether or not to extend him beyond next season. In his three full seasons as manager, Shildt has led the Cardinals to the postseason. Losing in the Wild Card series the past two seasons, the Cardinals advanced all the way to the Championship Series when they lost to the eventual World Series winner, the Washington Nationals.

According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold, the Cardinals front office has already begun conversations with Shildt’s coaching staff about having them return for the 2022 season. Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has explained in-depth about who was brought in for what reason.

“Pitching coach Mike Maddux told the Post-Dispatch that he expects to return for the next season,” Goold reported on Friday. “Bench coach Oliver Marmol is Shildt’s trusted lieutenant and could soon get some outside interest for dugout positions; Shildt has championed him for manager interviews. Mozeliak usually uses the weeks following the end of the season to finalize the staff.”

Mozeliak has also spoken about how hitting coach Jeff Albert rest their offensive approach, which led to a 17-game win streak.

While Mozeliak hasn’t officially committed to anyone for next season, he did credit this 2021 group for what they accomplished in turning the season around for a Wild Card slot.

“In terms of what 2022 looks like, it’s a bit premature for me to weigh in,” Mozeliak said. “Having said that, there is a lot this group should be proud of. They did accomplish a lot.”