Cardinals Could Fire Manager Despite .500 Record, MLB Writer Suggests

What are the St. Louis Cardinals planning to do with Oli Marmol?

On Friday, Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer put Marmol under the microscope, suggesting that his seat is heating up as the team navigates the 2025 season. Despite Marmol’s deep ties to the organization, Rymer argued that his tenure is increasingly questionable, raising doubts about whether he’s the right leader for a Cardinals team in transition.

“Though Marmol has deep roots in the Cardinals organization, he's only 38 years old and the organization itself is in a state of flux,” Rymer wrote.

“It's out in the open that 2025 is a transitional year for the Cardinals, particularly in that it's a last hurrah for John Mozeliak before control of the front office passes to Chaim Bloom in 2026.”

“If the Cardinals are going to make a change in the manager's chair, you have to think it won't be until then. And maybe not even, given that Marmol's contract runs through 2026.”

“And yet, the question of why the Cardinals are sticking with Marmol isn't getting easier to answer.”

“Since he debuted with a 93-win season in 2022, the Cardinals are just 173-189 under his watch. They're also underachieving relative to their run differential in 2025, which is never a good look for any manager.”

“That the Cardinals are within striking distance of first place in the NL Central is the good news, and it's bolstered by the fact that there's real talent on both sides of the ball. As such, the question the organization should be asking is whether someone else could squeeze more wins out of this roster.”

The Cardinals entered Friday with a 19-19 record, just three games behind the division-leading Cubs.

It wouldn’t make sense to fire Marmol if the Cardinals remain in contention, but one or two tough months could change the situation in St. Louis.