The Cardinals have agreed to a contract extension with supervisor Oli Marmol, MLB.com’s John Denton reports. He’d beforehand been slated to enter the ultimate season of his present contract. The staff has introduced that Marmol has signed a two-year extension overlaying the 2025-26 seasons.
Nonetheless simply 37 years outdated, Marmols has managed to a 164-160 file since taking the reins following the staff’s shocking dismissal of former skipper Mike Shildt. That features a 93-69, division-winning efficiency in his debut managerial marketing campaign, in addition to a 71-91, last-place end in 2023.
Marmol has spent his whole baseball profession within the Cardinals group. The Playing cards chosen him with a sixth-round decide again in 2007, however Marmol’s minor league profession lasted solely 4 seasons earlier than he moved into a training position throughout the system. He rose by way of the minor league ranks, teaching and managing at a number of stops, earlier than being added to the Cardinals’ huge league teaching workers as their first base coach for the 2017 marketing campaign. Marmol held that job for 2 seasons earlier than turning into Shildt’s bench coach for the following three years.
Marmol has, at instances, drawn criticism for his dealing with of gamers. He and since-traded outfielder Tyler O’Neill clashed early final season when Marmol publicly referred to as out O’Neill for not hustling house from third base. O’Neill took exception each to the substance of the remark in addition to the general public nature of the quip, suggesting that any dialog on the matter “may have been had in-house” and that the state of affairs “ought to have been dealt with somewhat in a different way for my part.” Marmol additionally publicly acknowledged early within the season that Willson Contreras could be faraway from the beginning catcher’s position — a choice that was reversed only a week later. O’Neill stated in an look on Foul Territory earlier this yr that he and Marmol grew to respect each other “at an arm’s size” and that his time with the membership ended “on good phrases” (video link).
Cardinals brass clearly doesn’t view final yr’s disappointing outcomes or the general public spat with O’Neill as a mirrored image of Marmol’s potential (or lack thereof) to steer the staff in the long run. He’ll now be locked up by way of the 2026 marketing campaign, not solely providing the staff some stability however avoiding the lame-duck standing that might have him routinely fielding questions and hypothesis about his job safety all through the upcoming season.
