Jul 13, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol (37) argues with umpire Brennan Miller (55) after he was ejected from the game against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Cardinals Predicted To Make Stunning Oli Marmol Contract Decision

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Aug 8, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals have been through quite a roller coaster ride of a season this year. They won a lot of games early in the year but fell off a cliff ahead of the trade deadline. This caused the front office to sell at the deadline rather than buy, like many expected early in the year.

The Cardinals traded Phil Maton, Ryan Helsley, and Steven Matz to the Texas Rangers, New York Mets, and Boston Red Sox, respectively.

Heading into the offseason, the Cardinals are set to make changes in the front office, too. Current president of baseball operations John Mozeliak is handing the role over to Chaim Bloom as the new president of baseball operations moving forward.

FanSided's Curt Bishop recently predicted the Cardinals would sign manager Oli Marmol to a new contract extension when the team is handed over from Mozeliak to Bloom.

Oli Marmol deserves an extension to stay in St. Louis

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

"Oli Marmol has drawn a lot of unnecessary criticism from outside sources over the years, mainly because it was he who took over after Mike Shildt was unjustly fired. But Marmol has done a fine job with the hand he was dealt," Bishop wrote. "It's fair to wonder if Bloom might go a different direction and search for a new manager, but it's more likely that he'll hold onto Marmol and give him a contract extension. 2026 is the final year on his contract.

"Marmol has the trust and respect of the players, even through some tough times, and his decision-making has improved each year he has been at the helm. So, while some fans may want Marmol let go, it's more likely that Bloom will keep him around for 2026 and beyond."

Marmol has seemingly been on the hot seat for a few years now, but the Cardinals would be wise to extend his contract, as he's done an excellent job this year.

The front office was seemingly ready to rebuild coming into this year, but Marmol found a way to keep them in the postseason hunt for a few months. At the end of the day, the team doesn't have enough talent to compete for a World Series right now, but Marmol remains one of the better options for the job.

If Bloom can bring in some reinforcements on the field, Marmol would look like a manager of the year candidate rather than a manager on the hot seat. Extending his contract for a few seasons makes sense at this point.

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

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