Cardinals' recent hirings point toward two potential reunions down the road

In a slew of coaching moves earlier this week, the St. Louis Cardinals announced hirings of two key coaches.

On Monday, it was reported that Jon Jay would join the Cardinals as a coach to replace the great Willie McGee. McGee, a former Cardinal himself, would transition to be a special advisor to president of baseball operations John Mozeliak. Jay would backfill McGee's absence as a coach for manager Oli Marmol.

On Tuesday, the Cardinals filled the vacancy in their hitting coach spot with Brant Brown, another former player. Brown, 53, was most recently an offensive coordinator and bench coach with the Seattle Mariners. He was fired just a few months into the job.

Both Jon Jay and Brant Brown, despite not even playing in the same decade, have a connection between each other that dates back to 2023. Brown and Jay were on former player and coach Skip Schumaker's coaching staff in Miami that year. Brant Brown was Schumaker's hitting coach, and Jon Jay was his first base/outfield coach.

John Mabry, the a former hitting coach himself, was also on Skip Schumaker's staff in 2023 as an assistant hitting coach. Mabry was fired from his spot on October 2nd along with a swath of other coaches in Miami including manager Skip Schumaker.

The hirings of Brown and Jay represent two additions from Skip Schumaker's staff in Miami. WIth Mabry and Schumaker still "free agents" of sorts, it's logical for one to jump to the assumption that the Cardinals could be looking to bring back both John Mabry and Skip Schumaker in some capacity either this year or next.

Oliver Marmol's final contract year is 2025. If he doesn't succeed this year, or if Chaim Bloom wants to insert his own manager when he ascends to the highest position in the Cardinals' front office, Schumaker could replace Marmol in 2026. Schumaker is quite familiar with the Cardinals' organization after having played eight years in St. Louis and being a bench coach in 2022.

The Miami Marlins made the postseason in 2023 against all odds. Their young core of Sandy Alcantara, Luis Arraez, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Edward Cabrera, Braxton Garrett, and Jesus Luzardo was key that year.

With the Cardinals looking to employ a younger team, bringing in coaches from the 2023 Miami Marlins staff is a good idea. The hirings of two of Skip Schumaker's coaching staff from that year could lead to Schumaker himself making a triumphant return to St. Louis in the near future.