The Cardinals declared a two-year contract extension with manager Oli Marmol on Friday afternoon, securing his position until the 2025-26 seasons and preventing him from operating under uncertainty in the final year of his current contract. At 37 years old, Marmol has achieved a record of 164-160 since taking over after the unexpected dismissal of former manager Mike Shildt. This includes a successful debut season with a 93-69 record and division win, as well as a less favorable 71-91 finish in 2023.
Having spent his entire baseball career with the Cardinals organization, Marmol was drafted by the Cards in the sixth round in 2007. His minor league career lasted only four seasons before transitioning into coaching within the system. He progressed through various coaching and managerial roles in the minors before joining the Cardinals’ major league coaching staff as the first base coach in 2017. Marmol then served as Shildt’s bench coach for three years.
Criticism has been directed at Marmol for his handling of players at times. He had a public disagreement with outfielder Tyler O’Neill last season when he criticized O’Neill for not hustling home from third base. O’Neill objected to both the criticism itself and the public nature of the remark, suggesting that such matters should have been addressed privately. Additionally, Marmol announced early in the season that Willson Contreras would be removed from the starting catcher’s role, a decision that was reversed a week later. Despite these incidents, O’Neill has mentioned that he and Marmol developed a mutual respect from a distance and parted ways with the club on good terms.
The Cardinals’ management evidently does not consider last year’s disappointing performance or the public disagreement with O’Neill as indicative of Marmol’s long-term managerial capabilities. By extending his contract through 2026, they aim to provide stability to the team and avoid the distraction of constant speculation about Marmol’s job security in the upcoming season.
