5 bold predictions for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2025

Bold Prediction #5: The Cardinals will have a new manager by the end of the year, but Oli Marmol will stay on the staff.

Oli Marmol is entering the final year of his contract following the extension last year winter. He's under a lot of pressure from at least the fans and probably management to show some form of progress and growth this year. Whether it be progress via the success of young players or progress via a division crown and a playoff berth, progress is essential to Marmol's future with the club.

There's also pressure coming from outside the organization to find a new manager.

Former players and Cardinal legends Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols are seeing plenty of success as they forge their own path on the bench of the baseball diamond. Pujols led his team, Leones de Escogido, to the Dominican Winter League title this past winter and a Caribbean Series championship. He's received glowing reviews from former managers, and he himself has said that "it won't be long" until he's a manager in Major League Baseball.

Molina, on the other hand, has seen as much international success as a manager. He managed Team Puerto Rico in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, he's managed in the Dominican Winter League, the Roberto Clemente, Professional Baseball League, and the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. He's found success at each stop.

The outside pressure paired with Oli Marmol's results these last two years make it tough to envision him finishing the year as the club's manager. If the Cardinals want to maintain the legacies of players like Molina and Pujols (and keep them away from enemies), they will have to hire one of these two future Hall of Famers.

Former players becoming managers has been problematic in the past throughout baseball. Beloved former players could have their reputation tainted, as managers are often the scapegoat for a team's lack of success. Furthermore, it can be challenging for former players to change their expectations. They saw success a certain way, so current players should mirror those methods as well. This process doesn't work for everyone.

The hope is that either Yadier Molina or Albert Pujols is able to break this mold and find success as managers similar to how they did as players.

If Marmol is replaced mid-season, I would expect him to stay with the organization one way or another. He's received glowing reviews from players both past and present, and he is known to have a strong rapport with young players.