Cardinals firing hitting coach gives Oli Marmol a free pass he doesn't deserve

St. Louis Cardinals hitting coach Turner Ward will not return for the 2025 season, as first reported by The Athletic. This is not a huge surprise, as the Cardinals struggled all season to hit with runners in scoring position. Changes had to made on that end, but it appears that won't include the likes of manager Oli Marmol, who is signed through the end of the 2025 campaign.

Marmol didn't mince words about these same issues, suggesting that the Cards have to improve with runners in scoring position.

“One, it was not good and it’s not something that is predictive from year-to-year,” Marmol said. “It is something to address as far as the, ‘Why weren’t we good?’ And it’s something we dug into quite a bit. It needs to be a point of emphasis [in 2025]."

However, in firing Ward, it provides Marmol with an out he shouldn't have been afforded in the first place.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work onThe Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.

Oli Marmol doesn't take responsibility for Cardinals failures

Marmol quickly pointed out that hitting with runners on was a strength of the Cards in 2023. Last season they took a major step back.

“It’s one of those things where we could keep the same personnel, in terms of players on the roster. and [hitting with runners in scoring position] could be completely different from year to year. But from an approach standpoint, it’s something that we didn’t execute at an acceptable level this year," Marmol continued.

Marmol's points are not inherently wrong, of course, but they lack much accountability on his end. Heading into what should be the final year of his contract barring a surprise run in 2025, he certainly holds some responsibility for his team's flaws, even if Ward had more of a direct impact on the Cards mentality at the plate with runners on.

This is a running theme with Marmol and Mozeliak. They're willing to make small changes to appease the fanbase, but don't see the bigger picture. Mozeliak will eventually be replaced by Chaim Bloom, a decision that was made official in the days following the end of a disappointing regular season. As for Marmol, there isn't a more lame-duck manager in the sport entering the winter.