Cardinals' Oli Marmol explains why ugly spring training could be a good thing

It's been a long time since the St. Louis Cardinals engaged in a true old-fashioned rebuild. A really long time.

But that's all changed this winter. With Chaim Bloom running the show in the front office, the Redbirds have fully bought into a "short-term pain for long-term gain" policy, trading win-now veterans for far-off prospects and the hope for a better tomorrow.

Manager Oliver Marmol will have to accept a different type of style with a club designed to lose more often than it will win, prioritizing development and relationships over the final score on any given night. It's a departure from where the team has been during his tenure as skipper, but it's also the first step toward getting the Cardinals back to relevance in the NL Central.

When asked about what he hopes to see from his new squad in spring training, Marmol didn't mince words. "I want guys to figure out what they’re capable of, even if it’s on the side of making some mistakes," the manager told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold.

Cardinals, Oli Marmol ready for developmental curve of young prospects

After a last-place finish in 2023, the Cardinals somewhat rebounded to finish second in the NL Central with an 83-79 record in 2024. That 2023 result was the first time since 1990 that they finished as the bottom-feeder in their division, and only the second time since the turn of the century that they finished fourth or worse (now three times after 2025).

In fact, since 2000, the Cardinals have finished first in the NL Central 12 times. In that same span, they've appeared in four World Series, winning two. That means that over the last quarter-century, the team has made the Fall Classic more times than it has finished outside the top three in the division.

That's the standard of Cardinals baseball, and no one should is expecting (or will be accepting of) a tank in the coming years. This franchise is built upon a legacy of winning, no matter how short the odds may seem.

But while the expectations will stay consistent with history, reality will almost certainly set in at some point. Marmol acknowledged it in his comments — this is one of the youngest teams in baseball, and there will be a lot of growing pains along the way.

At present, there are two players projected to make the Opening Day roster older than 30: relievers Ryne Stanek and Riley O'Brien. Everyone in the lineup or rotation is 28 years old or younger.

The spring exhibition slate means nothing for the regular season standings, which is why it'll be a good training ground for the new-look Cardinals to get their feet underneath them. Mistakes are a necessary part of the development process; better to make them in March than June or September, when the games actually matter.