The St. Louis Cardinals and manager Oliver Marmol have agreed to a 2 year extension through the 2028 MLB season the club announced Sunday.
The deal will also feature a club option for 2029, and retains a steadying clubhouse presence through what many believe will be a rebuilding year for the Cardinals. The 39 year old was set to enter the final year of his deal this season.
“As I’ve gotten to know Oli, I’ve seen someone who cares about this organization and knows what has made the Cardinals special over time – and who understands that for us to get where we need to go, we must compete relentlessly to set new standards in everything that we do,” stated Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. “He is invested in the progress of our young core and is unafraid to challenge himself and to help those around him grow. I am energized to continue working with him towards the on-field success that we expect and that our fans deserve.”
With a 325-323 record with the organization, Marmol is currently the 3rd longest tenured manager in the National League, trailing only Torey Lovullo (Arizona) and Dave Roberts (Los Angeles). Marmol got off to a hot start in his big league career, helping guide the team to the NL Central divisional title on the back of a 93 win season.
However, since then, the team has failed to replicate the same level of success, missing the playoffs in each of the last 3 years. The College of Charleston alum has essentially been a Cardinals lifer, having held numerous roles as both a player and coach within the organization.
Originally drafted in the 6th round of the 2007 MLB Draft by St. Louis, Marmol played 4 seasons in the minors for the club before becoming the hitting coach for the teams Rookie Level Gulf Coast League side. He then became manager of the Johnson City Cardinals in the Appalachian League, before having stops in the New York-Penn League, and Palm Beach.
The front office would promote him to the big leagues to act as 1st base coach in 2017, before getting promoted to bench coach in 2019. On October 25th, 2021 he would be named manager of the Cardinals, a position he’s held ever since.
Now he’ll be tasked with leading a team that’s facing a massive leadership void after the club moved on from Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray and Brendan Donovan this offseason.
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