Bernie Show: Marmol is surrounded by potential replacements

Oli Marmol will manage the St. Louis Cardinals in 2025 and is under contract to do the same job in 2026. We can't predict the future and set expectations for Marmol's team in 2025. There will be payroll cuts, and some could be harsh. Nucleus players/pitchers are likely to be traded; the only question is, how many? It would be a very challenging year for any manager in this situation, but it's more difficult for Marmol.

Primarily because of his link to president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, Marmol is (presumably) unpopular with a large percentage of Cardinals fans and won't have much of a chance to win them over. But what would it take for Mamrol to keep the job for 2026?

What if the young players and pitchers improve, and the Cardinals win more games than anticipated, and play an entertaining style of baseball? Would incoming president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom want to keep Marmol based on merit? Or will the mood of the fan base -- and a drop in business -- be the overriding factor in the decision to hire a new manager?

If Marmol's term in the manager's office ends after the end of the 2025 season, the Cardinals can turn in several directions for their next choice as manager. Some potential candidates are already in place. (Daniel Descalso and Jon Jay). Another attractive candidate, Skip Schumaker, may still be available unless he signs with another team this coming offseason. And two St. Louis baseball icons -- Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina -- want to manage in the majors and loom as towering candidates. One way or another, 2025 presents an intriguing and unusual situation for Marmol and the Cardinals.