Oli Marmol hints at St. Louis Cardinals bullpen shake-up

St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol wants to employ a more calculated approach to the bullpen this year.

Oliver Marmol is singing a familiar refrain about the St. Louis Cardinals‘ bullpen. The Cardinals have spoken for years about using their bullpen by matchup and leverage rather than assigned spots, and Marmol is the latest manager to reiterate that claim.

According to an STLtoday article, Marmol has already spoken with some relievers about their potential changing roles based on the game situation. Marmol said the best reliever should pitch in the highest-leverage situations regardless of the inning.

While proponents of the traditional closer role (and fantasy baseball managers who need saves) may lament this change, other Cardinals managers who have tried this formula have ended up sticking with a preferred closer in the end anyway, be it Giovanny Gallegos or Alex Reyes.

The team’s bullpen looks strong, even with the departure of Luis Garcia. Gallegos, Jordan Hicks, Genesis Cabrera and T.J. McFarland are among the best options, at least on paper. If and when Reyes returns from his injury, the Cardinals will have another threat in the arm barn. This flexibility should allow Marmol to avoid having a set closer if he desires, and the decline of the traditional closer role in baseball signifies that this is probably the optimal choice.

While the LOOGY is a thing of the past, leading left-handers to have to face right-handed batters more often than not, Marmol said he is also focusing on a pitcher’s arsenal more than on which hand the pitcher hurls the baseball with.

The Cardinals have possibly the best infield defense in the game, so sinkerballers are en vogue among the Cardinals’ front office, as are pitchers who can find the strike zone with regularity. Marmol wants to make sure there is no repeat of last year’s walk extravaganza.

I won’t be surprised if someone eventually grabs the bulk of ninth-inning save chances, but if Marmol sticks with his plan of utilizing relievers to pitch at the optimal times instead of having set roles, the bullpen has a real chance to flourish.