No one really expected the St. Louis Cardinals to be competitive at all in 2025. In fact, many thought a rebuild would happen this past offseason and superstar Nolan Arenado would be wearing a different jersey. Instead, the Cardinals got off to a hot start but have recently started to slowly collapse.
For St. Louis fans, their 10-15 record is quite frustrating because it feels like a big portion of their losses could have been avoided. Cardinals manager Oli Marmol entered the season on the hot seat but after his most recent interview with MLB.com, cue Johnny Cash, the flames got higher.
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St. Louis Cardinals manager Oli Marmol defends questionable bullpen management
Of the 15 losses the St. Louis Cardinals have suffered this season, seven of them have been by two runs or less. Not to point fingers and say that certain people were the cause of these losses but the Cardinals relief core has done Oli Marmol no favors.
So far this season, the Cardinals rank 25th in bullpen ERA at 5.11. They also have six blown saves. Naturally, these struggles will be a major point of discussion for Marmol when he is confronted by the media. His perspective on this issue is a little shocking, considering it could be the reason they are slowly falling out of a playoff race already. John Denton of MLB.com shared with us the head-scratching quotes from the St. Louis skipper.
"We treat the bullpen arms different than the position players because when it doesn't go the relievers' way, the game usually flips and it hurts," Marmol said. "So the bullpen is the hardest area to be patient in. If we're going to be as reactive with these bullpen arms, why not send some of these position players out?"
This fully indicates that Marmol is willing to continue making the same mistakes that will cost him baseball games. His analogy here is like comparing apples to oranges. The pressure and high expectations are what come with being a relief pitcher. These players earn their position by consistently performing in high-leverage situations. No, they won't be perfect. But a line has to be drawn in the sand somewhere in that Cardinals bullpen. It just won't be enforced by their current manager.