Oli Marmol's late-game decision making shows the painful reality of Cardinals' rebuild

The St. Louis Cardinals offense has been letting too many scoring opportunities pass by and the lack of runs put the team in an uphill battle to reach the postseason. The playoffs even being on the table has to be a major win for a team that was projected to be one of the worst in baseball, but fans looking for actual wins in the standings do not want to hear about a rebuild excuse. A season of opportunities comes with plenty of bumps and bruises, but there have been seemingly winnable games that the Cardinals have failed to capitalize on.

The argument that the team is trying to lose is a false statement, no matter how many times people say it, as everyone in the clubhouse has a common goal of winning every game they play. However, in this season of giving chances, there are decisions that may look like throwing in the towel but the reality is that these opportunities are given for the coaching staff to properly evaluate their players. This was especially apparent in the series-opening loss to the Phillies, when manager Oliver Marmol had to weigh the pros and cons of late-game substitutions.

Oli Marmol is open about his managerial decisions and how they impact the Cardinals' future

At the end of Monday night's game, the Cardinals had an opportunity to take advantage of a taxed Philadelphia bullpen and complete a tone-setting comeback. With runners on first and third and one out in the eighth, the struggling Jimmy Crooks was due up. Already 0-for-3 in the game and hitting well under .200 for the season, it seemed like a good spot for Marmol to go to the bench and replace the catcher with a more contact-oriented player like Bryan Torres.

Marmol opted to roll with his rookie catcher, however, and the risk did not pan out as Crooks struck out and the Cardinals could not push the tying run home. Even with a substitution looking like the obvious solution in that big spot, the manager made the decision that the chance for Crooks to take the at-bat was more important for the catcher's development. Of course, hindsight is 20/20 and it appeared there was a chance to get the tying run home later when Masyn Winn was also held up at third. Rather than point to the conservative hold by third base coach Pop Warner, Marmol shifted the late-game mishaps on his decision to roll with Crooks.

Jimmy Crooks has been getting plenty of opportunities to prove himself this year, especially with Ivan Herrera's throwing issues and Pedro Pages being moved to a third-string role. How long Herrera remains behind the plate remains to be seen, but it may be a year-long tryout for the primary DH. The Cardinals could opt to give Leo Bernal some run at the end of the season, but it appears for now that Crooks will continue to get his chances. He was seen as a defense-first catcher with some pop at the plate, especially after his strong start in Memphis this season. The bat has not yet translated to the majors, but Marmol still felt that the clutch spot was a good chance to see what Crooks could do.

As Marmol shared in his postgame quote with Brandon Kiley, this was one of those times where the manager had to choose between development and strategy. As a fan, the majority of us would always say to go for the win, but with Crooks needing to prove himself as a part of the future, the choice makes some sense after the explanation. Even with the decision backfiring, Marmol being open and truthful in his critiques has to be worth something to even the most disgruntled fans.

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