Who deserves the most blame for the Cardinals 2023 collapse?

Oli Marmol/The Coaching Staff

Manager Oli Marmol and the coaching staff ultimately aren't the ones who put together this team. They were dealt a bad hand by the front office, and fans should be cognizent of that.

However, this doesn't mean that they're free from any blame. In Marmol's case, we've seen a manager who has made poor in-game decisions countless times. Examples include his constant use of Taylor Motter, even with guys like Nolan Arenado and Nolan Gorman available, and more recently, his decision to use Drew VerHagen in the ninth inning on Saturday, which ultimately cost the Cardinals the game.

In addition, we've also watched what was once a top defensive club completely collapse. This isn't just on Marmol. The entire coaching staff deserves the blame for this. They didn't double down on fundamentals like Shildt had during his time here, and they paid the price.

The coaching staff's over-reliance on what they call analytics has not served the Cardinals well. We've seen Marmol use the same lineup for several consecutive games even when things aren't working.

It's clear that things need to change. Ownership, the front office, and the coaching staff must work together this offseason to ensure that something like this doesn't happen again.