Aug 17, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol (37) reacts after he was ejected from the game by umpire Nic Lentz (59) during the seventh inning against the New York Yankees at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Cardinals 2026 Manager Is Obvious For 2 Former MLB Veterans

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals are just a few weeks away from a full transition in the front office, but what will that mean for the manager job?

Chaim Bloom is taking over as the president of baseball operations once this season comes to a close. Over the course of the season, there's been chatter about whether or not the club will bring Oli Marmol back to manage the team in 2025. There's a real argument that he has proven this season that he is worth keeping. Recently, there's been buzz about guys like Yadier Molina, but Marmol has had a tough hand given to him and has helped to keep the team afloat.

It will be interesting to see what Bloom and the organization does. It's one thing to hear from a writer saying it makes sense to keep him, but another thing when former players who spent time with him says the same. That's what both Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson both said on the "Serving It Up" podcast with Jim Hayes.

Should the Cardinals bring back Oli Marmol in 2026?

Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

"Yeah, absolutely," Gibson said. "I think in these situations, not every time, if you are going to make a move, I feel like they probably would've done it by now to kind of clear the air and try something different and begin the search. I think he should be back. I'm hoping he and Chaim have gotten a good relationship going. I just think the manager is so much at the mercy of the players on the field and the front office behind him. We've talked about it before, he does a great job of bringing the responsibility back to him and back to the group as a whole and not pointing fingers at people. He knows the game well. He manages personalities, I feel like really well. He would be the guy I would leave there."

"What has he done this year that he would't warrant being able to manage next year? He dealt with everything they handed him this year and handled it with great class," Lynn said. "He was honest, he made guys accountable. He worked and made the best of the situation possible that he was given. Where other guys when you could see the writing on the doorstep could say 'Hey, this isn't my situation, I didn't choose this.' Oli wants to be a part of the solution and he is a part of the solution."

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: