Chaim Bloom's support for Oli Marmol could quell fans' doubts of Cardinals manager

When Chaim Bloom took over as the St. Louis Cardinals' new president of baseball operations, there was a sense that things were about to change in a hurry. Change they have, as Bloom has instituted sweeping reforms across the Cardinals franchise, including overhauling scouting and player development, but it appears Bloom is willing to preserve a few remnants of the John Mozeliak era, as the Cardinals have just extended Marmol through 2028, with a club option for 2029.

During his tenure, Marmol has received the typical vitriol that baseball fans tend to direct toward their managers, and, par for the course, many fans have expressed dissatisfaction regarding his managing ability. Bloom's extension of Marmol could thus be the first true test of fans' goodwill toward him. On the other hand, those who have bought into Bloom during this honeymoon phase could find his belief in Marmol to be an encouraging sign for the Cardinals.

Bloom's choice to extend Marmol could change fans' thoughts on their manager.

There was some speculation upon the announcement of Bloom's hiring as the president of baseball operations that he would replace Marmol with someone of his choosing. Many fans fell in love with the idea of Albert Pujols or Yadier Molina managing the team with whom they found historic success on the field, but while Marmol may not be the sexy pick when compared with those two, Bloom obviously sees him as a person with the resilience to grind through a few rough seasons.

It's possible that Pujols or Molina (or both) finds a managing gig with another team before Marmol's contract expires, and while it would be hard to swallow seeing either of them guide another club, it's probably for the best that Bloom sticks with the same voice to guide the Cardinals through what will be some frustrating times instead of bringing in one of those hallowed Cardinals with little losing experience, as they come from an era where the team piled on plenty of victories.

Bloom's modern-day approach is showing plenty of promise, but it will be difficult to judge how successful his changes to the organization will be until the team begins to perform again. Expectations for the Cardinals are at lows not seen in many fans' lifetimes, so it would be unfair to judge Marmol based on the Cardinals' performance in the wins and losses column. What they can evaluate is player development, and Bloom clearly believes that Marmol, along with the coaches alongside him, can coax more out of his players. Marmol will also bear some responsibility for ensuring a positive clubhouse culture.

Marmol's club option for 2029 could still reflect Bloom hedging his bets a bit and may be a sign of how long he expects the rebuild to last. When the Cardinals are ready to compete again, Bloom might have another person who he thinks could serve as a more apt skipper in a winning window.

Bloom holds a respectable resume of being able to turn teams around on a tight budget, and much of that involves the development of a strong farm system, where Cardinals fans can begin to view the results of Bloom's labor in its earliest stages. If Bloom had believed that Marmol can't help the major league squad through its current growing pains, he wouldn't have extended the Cardinals' current manager.

It might be tough for Cardinals fans in the current environment to trust the process after hearing Mozeliak spout that mantra countless times only to leave the team in the position it's in now, but if the Cardinals show signs of turning it around in the lower levels and Bloom maintains his air of respectability, fans might need to reconsider their stance on Marmol as solely a Mozeliak disciple.