Predicting the fates of 7 Cardinals players, 2 coaches, and 1 executive after 2024

Oliver Marmol will return as manager in 2025, much to the chagrin of fans.

The 2025 season has likely shown us who Oliver Marmol is as a manager. He's someone who is thoughtful about his decisions while leaning on his assistant coaches and the front office for assistance. 2022 featured him leading a veteran-laden group to the playoffs. 2023 was a disaster on multiple fronts for Marmol. 2024 has been a season where the Cardinals met expectations. At this point, we know who Oliver Marmol is: he's someone who can defend his decisions even if they don't work out, he's a manager who prefers employing veterans, and he occasionally will call out a player publicly.

The extension Marmol received prior to the 2024 season gave him assurance for this year, but the team's improvements this year likely lock him into at least the 2025 season. The possibility of him being fired seems to have dissipated after a season where the Cardinals will have quite the improvement compared to 2024.

Personally, I think Marmol deserves another year. He was given a shoddy roster with virtually no bench options and a rotation whose cumulative age measured up against some of the oldest rotations in baseball history. He's led the team to a winning season this year. It's not Marmol's fault that Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, Jordan Walker, and Nolan Gorman all dropped off this year. Marmol has also employed his bullpen quite well.

Don't expect the Cardinals to seek out a new manager this offseason; Oliver Marmol is here to stay.