The St. Louis Cardinals don't know what they are. Yes, that sentence felt ridiculous to type, but the Cardinals entered the season in reset mode. Still, they have enough capable players on the roster including Nolan Arenado and Masyn Winn that they could conceivably compete in a wide open NL Central.
John Mozeliak, who is on his way out as the head of the Cardinals front office, is set to hand over the reins to Chaim Bloom. The new president of baseball operations will eventually want to hire his own manager barring a surprising playoff-bound season in St. Louis. Marmol has been on the chopping block since the end of the 2023 season. However, that very winter Mozeliak gave the Cardinals manager a contract extension, rather than letting him coach the 2024 campaign on an expiring deal. Mozeliak wanted to avoid the distraction.
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Who would replace Oli Marmol if the Cardinals fire him?
Of the possible replacements for Marmol when he is inevitably let go, several former Cardinals stars rise to the top of the list. Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina have led successful campaigns in the Dominican Winter League. Pujols will manage the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, while Molina will lead Puerto Rico. Both future Hall of Famers want to managed in MLB, but the Cardinals might not be the best fit despite pressure from fans. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic suggested Bloom could go in a different direction ($).
"The Cardinals, though, might not want to choose between two of their legends. And Bloom, after his experience with Alex Cora in Boston, will be especially careful with his choice. Friends of Bloom, who spoke on condition of anonymity in exchange for their candor, believe Cora was not as supportive of Bloom as he could have been," Rosenthal wrote.
Cardinals need to avoid a clear Oli Marmol mistake
Rosenthal also floated Skip Schumaker as a possibility. Schumaker is a former Cardinal himself and was on Marmol's staff back in 2022. Schumaker has taken on an advisory role in the Texas Rangers organization. Those in the know assume he will be Bruce Bochy's successor. Bochy is 70 years old, and should he decide to manage beyond this season, there is a very good chance Schumaker will depart Arlington for an opportunity of his own rather than waiting around.
The catch for the Cardinals, per Rosenthal, is that Schumaker might want to keep Marmol around if he becomes manager. Believe it or not, Marmol could remain on Schumaker's coaching staff, thus repaying a favor. While the two men undoubtedly respect one another, this could create an uncomfortable situation in the clubhouse. Having a former manager on the staff is one thing. Typically, though, the manager who was just replaced does not remain in the clubhouse.
Cardinals fans are tired of watching a shoddy product, and Marmol has a lot to do with that. Keeping him around in any capacity is a mistake the organization ought to avoid.