Oli Marmol clearly didn't take Nolan Arenado's Cardinals criticism seriously

The St. Louis Cardinals have -- on paper -- one of the better lineups in baseball. Yet, they've scored two runs or less in five of their last seven games. St. Louis hasn't hit at a consistent rate all season long, and Nolan Arenado has had enough of it.

Manager Oli Marmol has sent a message to several of the team's struggling sluggers, including Paul Goldschmidt (who picked up after being moved backed to the five-spot) and Lars Nootbaar, who remains at the No. 9 slot.

On Sunday, Arenado clearly had enough, telling MLB.com's John Denton just how frustrated he is by the offense's inefficiency.

"It's high and it should be high," Arenado said. "Guys shouldn’t be OK with what’s going on. I know we have a lot of games left, but that’s an ongoing excuse and we can’t continue to use that. We know that there’s a better feeling there, and we have to continue to push. I don’t know what else to say."

Oli Marmol does little to help Cardinals, Nolan Arenado

Arenado went 0-for-4 on Sunday in a loss to the lowly Chicago White Sox, but overall he's been red hot of late. The former Rockies star is slashing .545/.615/1.000 in May with two doubles, a home run and six RBI.

While Arenado's message sounds harsh, it's one the Cards needed to hear. He is respected in the St. Louis clubhouse. Marmol must not have heard him.

Marmol did very little to alter the St. Louis approach, going with the same starting nine as Sunday. The only difference is he moved Jose Fermin to leadoff, all the while pushing Brendan Donovan down to seventh.

The Cardinals manager sadly isn't on the hot seat just yet despite some curious decisions this season. St. Louis president of baseball operations John Mozeliak opted to give Marmol a contract extension prior to this season, as he felt a looming managerial change would serve as a distraction this season.

Despite the extension, the Cardinals have struggled on the field in 2024. And now they are stuck with Marmol for the 2025 season (or they'll eat the money). The inept nature of this Cardinals team starts from the top, and is reflected in the day-to-day product.