6 people who are on the hot seat after Cardinals' lackluster start to 2024

1. Oli Marmol

Despite being signed to a two-year extension before the start of the 2024 season, Marmol should be on the hot seat. The Cardinals are a historically winning franchise. The team had a terrible 2023 season. Marmol was the manager and leader of that team. He led that team to a 71-91 record.

The Cardinals haven't gotten off to a great start and are 11-14.

The Cardinals had a series of bad luck in 2023. The team needed better pitching and needed more consistency with hitting. A mix of youth and quiet veteran leadership couldn't get on the same page. The team had a manager in Marmol, who publicly criticized players for a perceived lack of hustle in Tyler O'Neill and for not being retired, catching legend Yadier Molina in Willson Contreras. And there were other criticisms.

The manager has been given more veteran leadership around him. He has new starting pitchers, a bolstered bullpen, a great lineup, and a good bench. Marmol could still make better decisions with his pitchers and the line-up. While he's yet to publicly criticize players this season, he's still making comments. Some of his statements to the media after games are real head-scratchers. He said Steven Matz's start on Tuesday was one of his best. Matz lost Tuesday's game after giving up seven earned runs.

How the Cardinals perform over the next few weeks will be key in determining how hot Marmol's seat remains this season. The team is trying hard to get back to winning. They need a leader who will make those crucial decisions to help them along the way to a championship. If the Cardinals hope to get back to their winning culture, they need a winning manager. The next few weeks should help determine if Marmol is that man.