5 surprising trouble spots for the Cardinals that have already emerged

What seemed like a good start to this season has trickled to frustration for the St. Louis Cardinals.

With a below-.500 record, the Cardinals are showing signs that their plans to rely on their youth are not going well. Players like Lars Nootbaar and Victor Scott II are getting used and finding success. Some players, although not necessarily young, are being used and abused, as seen with Ryan Fernandez or JoJo Romero.

Let's discuss some of the trouble spots the Cardinals are already facing this season.

Lack of real leadership from manager

It's a third consecutive season where something will not go as anticipated, and manager Oliver Marmol makes things worse with his words to the media. After the debacle with Willson Contreras and the pitching staff in 2023, you would have thought the issue would resolve itself, but it didn't. It continues to be a problem.

This season, he has made it clear that he is working with what he has. And this is true; John Mozeliak didn't add anyone new to the roster until Phil Maton was signed around Spring Training. That was it. After Mozeliak let it be known that he was going to allow the youth to show what they had, the team didn't move anyone to make that work or to bolster what the team already had. Mozeliak spent much of the offseason stating that his goal was to trade Nolan Arenado. That did not get accomplished, and he has been one of the primary contributors to this 2025 club.

Marmol appears stubborn in his approach with the team. He doesn't seem to apply the human aspect. He instead relies heavily on situations and statistics that often fail to tell the whole story. There is a way that analytics and the human element can come together in helping him manage. He has yet to find a successful approach.

Mozeliak once said that doing the same thing over and over again, hoping for a different result, is the definition of insanity. Well, that's what things are starting to look like with Marmol's approach. Perhaps Mozeliak and company are waiting for Chaim Bloom to take over before taking any action. However, this team has the pieces in place to be successful. Mozeliak should push to do the right thing in his final season.

A taxed bullpen

This has developed as the primary area of concern. Marmol is not using the bullpen efficiently.

Using the youth movement as his primary excuse, Marmol said he must continue to put Fernandez out there to pitch so that he can improve. A Rule 5 draft pick, Fernandez had a good 2024 season. The Cardinals were primed to use him in the same setup role this season. But sometimes a break is needed to work things out.

Fernandez is 0-2 with an ERA of 11.42 over 11 games and 8.2 innings of work. He's given up 15 hits, 11 earned runs, five walks, and two home runs.

Marmol seemed fully intent on sending Fernandez back to the mound until he improved. Thankfully, Mozeliak stepped in and optioned Fernandez to Memphis to work on things outside the glare of the Major League club. Riley O'Brien was recalled for the Cardinals.

JoJo Romero is another arm that's getting exposed. Phil Maton, the one free agent signing this offseason, has struggled. Kyle Leahy and John King are getting work in. Matt Svanson has been with the Cardinals since April 16, but has only an inning of work. Ryan Helsley had to pitch outside of a closing situation this week after not having a save opportunity.

Roddery Muñoz could be another option to come up from Memphis.