Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol walks back to the dugout after a pitching change against the San Francisco Giants during the third inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Cardinals Pitcher Defends Oli Marmol Amid Heavy Backlash

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Oct 10, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals have underachieved over the last few years and a lot of the blame has been placed on manager Oli Marmol. Fans and media members have called for his firing, but the players and front office continue to trust him.

There's an element to managing that the media doesn't always see. Pitcher Michael McGreevy recently look fans into the world of a fringe roster player under Marmol.

McGreevy bounced back and forth between Triple-A and the big leagues for most of the season. To begin the year, Marmol was tasked with telling McGreevy he'd begin the year in Triple-A.

“Didn’t see a hidden camera anywhere, so I knew,” McGreevy joked, via The Athletic's Katie Woo. “But I appreciated the way Oli presented it with me. He made me feel I was part of the team, even though I was going down to Memphis.”

Throughput the year, McGreevy would be moved between Triple-A and MLB in order to help fit the Cardinals' needs. Through it all, Marmol was up front and honest with his young pitcher.

Michael McGreevy opens up on his relationship with Oli Marmol

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

“From the get-go, Oli was very understanding of what I would be going through, because he knew I deserved it based on performance,” McGreevy said. “He wanted to make sure my emotions were in check. It’s a tough thing to tell a player on the short end of the stick.”

As the season went on, McGreevy would be brought up to pitch before being optioned back to Triple-A almost immediately after the game. And it might not have seemed fair to the young pitcher, especially considering how well he threw at times, but that's the business side of the game.

“He reinforced there was nothing I could do,” McGreevy said. “He’d say, ‘We just need you to be Michael McGreevy and you’ll be here in no time.’ And that’s a cliche, but the message and the way it was presented gave me extra motivation.

“He just kept reinforcing there’s nothing I need to do, it’s just the situation.”

Marmol's leadership in a tough situation like this goes unseen by the fanbase and media, but it's clearly noted by the players.

This level of understanding and honesty is what helps a team buy-in to what the manager is selling. For Marmol and the Cardinals, this leadership has McGreevy bought in completely.

“To see what he said about me, and put himself out there, he definitely fought for me,” McGreevy said. “He’s fighting for me, I’ll fight for him. It makes you want to go out there and compete.”

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

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