9 potential Cardinals managers if Oliver Marmol is fired this season

Matt Holliday

Matt Holliday was one of the best players to play in the 2010s for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was a fan favorite. The Cardinals originally hired Holliday to be the bench coach late in 2022 after Skip Schumaker signed to manage with the Miami Marlins. Holliday stepped down from that role in January of 2023 before making a single appearance with the team.

After being hired in November, Holliday stated that he wanted to spend more time with his family, but the opportunity to manage was something that he didn't want to pass up. "Obviously, with my kids I wanted to be home and around them as much as possible -- and still do -- but this was an opportunity that I wanted to pursue and it's an opportunity I couldn't pass up."

His feelings on the situation changed soon after, however. Holliday's departure was simply for "family reasons", but it's assumed that he wanted to see his sons begin their professional careers. His eldest, Jackson Holliday, is the top prospect in baseball and recently made his MLB debut.

Holliday's interest in managing is still present; Bob Nightengale reported as recently as September that Holliday is interested in managing in "the next few years". If Marmol is fired, and if the Cardinals can convince the 42-year-old former player to come manage, he would be a great fit.

Once again Holliday's familiarity with the organization bodes well for him. He could also be good at tapping into veterans, something the Cardinals have plenty of. Holliday was an excellent offensive player during his career; he finished with a 132 OPS+, seven All-Star nominations, 4 Silver Slugger awards, and a batting title. Offense is something the Cardinals desperately need, and Holliday could provide some counsel in that respect.