Oliver Marmol has been managing the St. Louis Cardinals for two seasons.
He did extremely well in 2022, earning a 93-69 record and a playoff berth; and very badly in 2023 with a 71-91 record.
The Cardinals’ 2023 downfall, however, was epic.
They hadn’t had such a bad winning percentage (.438) since they were 62-81 (.434) in 1995 under Joe Torre and Mike Jorgensen.
The Cards are used to winning.
It might have come as a shock to some, considering how badly the team performed last year, but the Cardinals are actually showing how much they trust Marmol to be the man to lead the way in the future.
“Oli Marmol has signed an extension with the Cardinals. His contract was set to expire after the 2024 season,” Talkin’ Baseball tweeted.
Oli Marmol has signed an extension with the Cardinals. His contract was set to expire after the 2024 season pic.twitter.com/3UfpDVL5Ht
In the replies section, Talkin’ Baseball also reported that the extension tacks on two more years to his current deal, and now it will expire after the 2026 season.
The Cardinals front office brought in some important players in the offseason, most notably ace Sonny Gray.
They also brought in veterans Brandon Crawford and Matt Carpenter, plus pitchers Lance Lynn, Keynan Middleton, Kyle Gibson, and Andrew Kittredge, among others.
They still have Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, and Willson Contreras, plus surging star Jordan Walker and solid role players like Brendan Donovan, Nolan Gorman, and Dylan Carlson.
The Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds are rapidly emerging as forces in the NL Central, though, so the Cards won’t have it easy.
The Milwaukee Brewers and the Pittsburgh Pirates also represent threats.
It will be a key year in St. Louis, but Marmol will have some peace of mind after his new extension.