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New York Times
2 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Cardinals manager Oli Marmol on his job status, management style and more
Perhaps no manager began the season in as uncomfortable a position as the St. Louis Cardinals' Oli Marmol. The Cardinals were in transition. On the field, they were taking a step back competitively to evaluate young players. Off the field, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak was in his last season before being replaced by Chaim Bloom. Advertisement Marmol, hired by Mozeliak in Oct. 2021, is under contract through 2026, but hardly appeared secure. Not with the Cardinals missing the playoffs the past two seasons. Not with Bloom potentially wanting to hire his own manager. And not with two Cardinals legends, potential Hall of Famers Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina, being rather open about their desires to manage. Yet Marmol, who remains baseball's youngest manager at 39, seems to have only solidified his standing. 'I absolutely think he has. I'm not surprised at all,' Mozeliak said. 'I know there is always going to be a drumbeat out there because of our history, meaning the Pujolses, the Molinas. That's always going to exist. 'But when you think of the modern-day manager and what they have to deal with, Oli does an exceptional job on that. He's growing into this, getting better at it. He's well-respected by his players and staff. He's in a good spot.' The Cardinals, after parting with their three top relievers at the trade deadline, were two games over .500 until their recent five-game losing streak. During that stretch, they were swept by the New York Yankees while missing two of their best players, first baseman Willson Contreras and infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan, due to injuries. In an interview Friday at Busch Stadium, Marmol spoke candidly on a variety of topics, from his job security to his relationship with Pujols and Molina to his efforts to improve his communication with his current players. His comments were edited slightly for length and clarity. How do you view your status? I know people say this. And it sounds cliched. That's why I have a hard time even articulating it. Dude, I don't worry about it. I never have. And I hope I never do. I'm 39. I've been managing for four years. I have everything I need. I don't ever worry about my status. I know what I'm good at. I know what I'm not good at. And I'm comfortable with it. Advertisement I didn't go into this with a goal of, 'Man, I want to manage by this age.' I've always just had my head down, brought value to the people I'm around, love all the people I'm around. And things tend to work out. I know it sounds cliched, but I don't care. I don't. When people talk about, oh, the hot seat, I (don't) give two sh–s. I really mean that. And people who are around me enough come to realize that's as genuine as I can put it. I've been around people where this clearly, clearly defines them. And I think that's such a bad place to be. I hope my head never gets there. Because then I think you end up doing what's right. Rather than covering your ass, you say what needs to be said. You do what needs to be done. And you don't think of how this impacts me moving forward, as much as, is this the right thing? And I hope I always operate that way. Have I made mistakes along the way? Absolutely. Would I redo some things? Absolutely. But you don't have that opportunity. You learn from it. You keep moving. How did you approach the season, knowing the team was in a different place and that Chaim Bloom eventually would take over for John Mozeliak? They were very clear on the transition. They were definitive in what the roles would be like, for Mo and also for Chaim. For a line of communication, it was clear that anything big-league related, Mo would be the person. Then, a lot of the different systems and infrastructure for our minor leagues, that would be Chaim. I meet with Chaim quite a bit. Early on, from spring training until about the All-Star break, a lot of it was minor-league related because I did spend a decent amount of time down there (from 2007 to 2016 as a player, coach and manager) when the org was in a good spot. From a minor-league standpoint, he had questions. Anytime he's in town, we have breakfast or lunch. That's been really good. Advertisement I know what I was tasked with at the beginning of the year, as far as what this year was going to look like. You try to win as many games as possible along the way. But you can't miss on what the No. 1 task is: finding out what we have and what we don't have in order to have more clarity as to how we want to move forward at the end of this year. What have you done to correct the things you're not good at? The two words I live by with my staff are honesty and curiosity. Those are two words that are extremely important to me. I'll give you the quick version of both. Honesty to me is saying what needs to be said. Having the conversations that need to be had, and not being afraid of conflict. Everyone is better when you get on the other side of conflict. Not many people like confrontation. But I think there is so much good when you can get on the other side of that. So, being honest with people, but also carrying myself in a way where others feel comfortable being honest with me. So, like, me being able to walk down those halls and my staff being very comfortable telling me if I'm doing something that doesn't align with my mission. That's important to me. And curiosity is just always looking for a better way of doing things. Is the way we're doing it because we've always done it this way? Or is the best way to do it? Am I missing something? I'll ask my staff all the time: 'What am I missing?' I'll ask players: 'What am I missing?' There's vulnerability in that. But you get better because of it. When I took the job in '22, I hired a guy by the name of Michael Gervais. He's a high-performance coach for Steve Kerr with the Warriors, for the Seahawks when Pete Carroll was there. He does a lot of stuff with the CEOs and executives at Microsoft. He's incredible. When I was in the minor leagues, I listened to a lot of his stuff. I never thought I'd have the opportunity to work with him. It was pricey, but I'd do it all day, every day, because it allowed me to create an infrastructure for how I think, how I process, how I filter decisions and how I handle pressure in a way I probably wouldn't have been able to at my age when I took the job. Advertisement You just reached out to him? I had a guy who was a mutual connection reach out. I didn't think he'd take me as a client because he was working with a lot of high-profile individuals. But because of my age, and the job I was taking, and a market like this, he said, 'I'd love to do it.' I flew out to the West Coast. I met with him for like four hours. I've never had a conversation that was more real or impactful than that one. We spent the offseason together creating a process for why you operate the way you operate, how do you want to lead, how do you want those underneath you to experience your leadership. It was incredible. As s—-y as it was, I wouldn't have handled '23 (when the Cardinals finished 71-91) or '24 (when they missed the playoffs again after finishing 83-79) the way I did if I didn't have that. In what ways have you improved? You take those two words. The first one, honesty. A lot of times, I can be very direct. That serves me well, especially in a big-boy world that we live in. But the thing I've gotten better at is, it has to be accompanied with some form of compassion. Guys want to know you're going through it with them. If I didn't improve at that, I don't think I'd have the buy-in we're getting this year. It's good to be direct. It's good for people to know where they stand and not be guessing. But they also want to know when things are hard, are you evaluating me or are you going through it with me? Players now know I'm going through it with them rather than just evaluating them. Did that change this year? I wouldn't say it was (snapping his fingers). You start to realize it in conversations. You start to make adjustments. I would say probably halfway through last year, and this year has been the biggest difference, a focus of mine. The staff has always felt supported, that I have their back. They'll never question that. I had a good relationship with Albert, Yadi, Goldy (Paul Goldschmidt), Waino (Adam Wainwright) — the veterans. You don't have to dance around the truth with those guys. You just don't. They've lived it. They've experienced it. Those relationships were always super-easy for me. People probably would have thought the opposite. A young manager coming in, how are you going to get (their respect)? It was actually the complete opposite for me. I gained those quickly. But I learned I had to be more compassionate and understanding with the younger guys and bringing them along as they were going through failure, experiencing that sophomore year of, 'The league knows me now. And I'm not doing as well. I want someone to come alongside of me.' Advertisement Was there a light bulb moment? Not necessarily. It was more, you know, when you're getting quick buy-in, and when it's taking twice as long as you think it should. When I look at some of the guys that are now very bought-in, it had way more to do with my level of communication. I'm an overcommunicator. But if you're direct and you're over-communicating, that sometimes… … Can be a problem? Not so much a problem. But you can do that with Donovan. You can do that with (Alec) Burleson. You can't do that with some other guys. I'm picking my spots for that, and then understanding direct is good, but also it has to be accompanied with a little more compassion at times. Have you improved at game management as well? I don't worry about having to defend a move as much as I did in '22. I'm going to do what I think is right and have a reason behind it. If people, writers, fans like it, great. If they don't, I have a reason behind it. There are times you sit there during the game and you want to do something — and any manager who tells you this isn't the case is full of s— — and your mind quickly goes to, if it doesn't work, how are you going to explain it? But you still feel like it's the right move. And sometimes, you shy away from it because it's easier to explain what you would do by the book. I probably tend to think about that less or care about it less today. You mentioned Albert and Yadi. Those two want to manage. I'm sure they would both love to manage this team. How do you deal with that? And I know Yadi was just here. I'm not sure how this will be perceived. But my faith is very important to me. If I'm supposed to have this seat, then I'll have it. And if I'm not supposed to have it, there's not a person in the world that can keep me here. So, I don't spend any time thinking about what if. It doesn't matter. It doesn't. For me to sit here and think I know what's best for my next 10 years would be very naive. I show up. I make sure my staff knows I have their back and our players know I have theirs. We go at this together, and then I do it the next day and the next day. And, at some point, if someone doesn't want me to continue to do it, it will be just fine. I love AP. I talk to him often. I love Yadi. I just had him sit with me in the dugout (on Aug. 8 and 9, when the Cardinals hosted the Chicago Cubs). I think both of them can be not just good managers, but incredible managers in this league for as long as they want to do it and deal with the criticism that comes with the seat. Advertisement That doesn't impact me in any way. It truly doesn't. I've had people call BS on that, and then the longer they're around me, they're like, 'I feel like you're genuine.' I really am. I know what I bring to the table. I know what I'm good at. I know what I'm not. I'm comfortable with all of it. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
11-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cardinals' Oli Marmol provides bleak Nolan Arenado injury update
Cardinals' Oli Marmol provides bleak Nolan Arenado injury update originally appeared on The Sporting News The St. Louis Cardinals have a major question mark to deal with for the team's future. That big question belongs to future Hall of Fame third baseman Nolan Arenado. Despite his career success, he's struggled in 2025, and with his shoulder injury, he's missing time. But, after a report from John Denton of came out on Arenado's ongoing injury recovery, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol provided a bleak update on Arenado's timeline to return to the big league roster. "He (Arenado) is not expected to be ready by STL's series in Miami on August 18th-20th, Oli Marmol said," reported Denton. It's a tough update for the Cardinals $275 million infielder. He's been a big part of the club over the last few seasons, but with his shoulder injury and poor play this season, the end of his Cardinals tenure is in sight. While he isn't going anywhere just yet, if this injury persists, and he can't return to the roster this season, the new president of baseball operations could decide to move on from the 34-year-old 10-time Gold Glover. His career low is .660 OPS, well below his career average of an .847 OPS. St. Louis could look to move on from him, as his contract expires after the 2027 season. MORE: Cardinals' trade acquisition shares five-word message with fans He might not fetch a strong return, as his cost, age, injury concerns, and poor play lately will make it tough for the Cardinals to find a trade partner willing to give up enough for St. Louis to make a deal. But, in the meantime, his injury recovery is paramount to the team's success in the future. This update from Marmol isn't a great sign that he's going to be ready any time soon. Initially, Arenado was predicted to be able to return on the 18th of August. But this update firmly shuts down such a possibility, as the veteran isn't expected back by that date despite the initial belief he could be. This updated report from Denton on where Marmol sees Arenado in his recovery is a bleak outlook for the eight-time All-Star. His time in St. Louis isn't up yet, but at the moment following this report, the end seems a lot closer than it was at the start of the year. MORE MLB NEWS: Astros trade for 27-year-old left-handed-hitting Marlins outfielder Astros agree to blockbuster trade with Twins for Carlos Correa Padres trade Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek to Royals for a new catcher Tigers lost out to Mets on trade for Cardinals' Ryan Helsley Padres pull off blockbuster trade for Athletics' Mason Miller Guardians to trade Cy Young starter Shane Bieber to Blue Jays
New York Times
29-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
A key piece in Cardinals bullpen, Phil Maton is prepared to be traded at deadline — again
ST. LOUIS — Phil Maton has done this drill before. He is no stranger to trade deadline deals. The 32-year-old has been traded three times in July throughout his nine-year career. With the St. Louis Cardinals expecting to shop their rental relievers, the odds of a fourth trade are high. If he had a choice, Maton would remain with the Cardinals. But he also knows his role as a high-leverage reliever often comes with the most turnover. It's an unfortunate reality of the business. Advertisement 'It's hard enough to be a big leaguer. It's even harder to stay in the big leagues,' Maton said. 'Especially as a reliever. It's hard to get contracts and constantly keep coming back and having teams want to pay you money over bringing up young talent.' It's no secret relievers are volatile; it's what makes them so valuable come the deadline. Maton's value is at a high. He entered play Monday with a 2.35 ERA over 40 appearances. He's dazzled in late relief for St. Louis, registering a whiff rate and strikeout rate both over 30 percent. He's done so with one of the slowest average velocities in the game, but one of the best spin rates. 'You think about where this team is without Phil,' manager Oli Marmol said over the weekend, 'it gets ugly real quick.' The Cardinals clubhouse has lauded Maton all year, with veterans admiring his demeanor on the mound and rookies crediting him for passing along his staunch preparation techniques. There is internal hope within the clubhouse that he'll remain with the club. But as Thursday's deadline trickles near, Maton is facing reality — and is again prepared to be on the move. 'You just have to try to look at it as a positive,' he said from the home dugout at Busch Stadium on Monday. 'It's not always what you want to do, but it's always something to learn. There's always an opportunity to improve and there's always different personnel where you go. So you just try to make the most of all those opportunities.' Phil Maton's 3Ks in the 11th…and Sword. ⚔️ — Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 21, 2025 Not all trade scenarios are created equal. Maton was in Triple A when he was first traded from the San Diego Padres to the Cleveland Guardians, a move he described as 'probably saving my career.' He began establishing himself over the next three seasons and was admittedly caught off guard when Cleveland dealt him and catcher Yainer Diaz to the Houston Astros in 2021 on the day of the trade deadline. Advertisement 'The Houston trade was very surprising to me,' Maton recalled. 'We were saying goodbye to other guys on the Cleveland team. I was heading out of my hotel room to go to the field and had to turn right back around and pack my stuff.' It was in Houston where Maton emerged as a durable arm, though. He missed the Astros' entire 2022 playoff run (and World Series championship) due to a broken finger he sustained punching a wall after the final game of the regular season. He elected free agency after the 2023 season, where he logged a 3.00 ERA over 68 appearances with a 10.1 strikeout-per-nine-innings rate. Maton signed with the Tampa Bay Rays, but struggled in the first half. With the Rays selling, he figured he'd be on the move. He was right. Maton was traded to the New York Mets in early July and became a pivotal member of the bullpen during the team's second-half run to the postseason. 'The trade last year wasn't all too surprising,' he said. 'The front office and people in Tampa are awesome people, they're very transparent. 'They don't like spending money. I wasn't throwing well. There was an opportunity to offload my salary, and they took the opportunity. We saw it coming, we knew it was going to happen.' Now Maton is back in familiar territory. He should be a coveted reliever this week. The trade deadline always favors the sellers, and while the Cardinals have not definitively declared themselves as such, their 55-53 record and place in the standings (nine games back in the National League Central, three games back in the wild-card) suggest they will be. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak is prepared to wait out contending teams as he fields interest in Maton, closer Ryan Helsley and set-up men Steven Matz and JoJo Romero. All but Romero will be free agents at the end of the year; he has one remaining year of team control. Maton is arguably the most ideal acquisition of the four pitchers, at least from a cost perspective. He signed a one-year, $2 million deal with St. Louis in March and is owed roughly $700,000 for the remainder of the season. But contending teams also will be intrigued by his veteran pedigree and extensive postseason experience. His performance this year won't hurt either. Advertisement There is some irony in being so highly desired after Maton spent the majority of the offseason unsigned, and that does play into why he would like to stay with the Cardinals. 'After dealing with all the teams in the offseason and their disinterest, I would prefer to stay here,' Maton said. 'This is where we signed our contract for, and where we committed our summer to. But we weren't really negotiating from any place of leverage this offseason, from a no-trade clause standpoint or anything, so whatever they do, it is what it is. But I've enjoyed my time here.' Maton, however, has been in this game long enough and understands how the business operates. His wife, Katelynn, has started packing their apartment in St. Louis — just in case. The Cardinals, who hold the leverage here, are in no rush to part with any of their players. Maton knows the next few days could be grueling as traction starts to pick up, but similar to how he pitches, he'll do his best to block out the noise. 'Regardless of what happens, we'll be ready to stay here or go,' he said. 'I'm just trying to keep my mind off it as much as possible.' (Top photo of Phil Maton pitching: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cardinals' Oli Marmol breaks silence on Erick Fedde decision
The St. Louis Cardinals, after dropping a must-win game to the last-place Colorado Rockies, decided to designate starting pitcher Erick Fedde for assignment. John Denton of shared Cardinals manager Oli Marmol's reaction to the team's decision to designate Fedde for assignment. Marmol praised Fedde and was also candid about why the team cut ties with the 32-year-old veteran. "He understood it," Marmol said of Fedde. "He was a pro about it. He understood that we gave him several chances to try and correct and get on the other side of it. Unfortunately, it wasn't translating into games. He was working hard at it, but he also understood where we are as an organization, and that it opens up a spot for one of the young guys that's going to contribute moving forward." Marmol's overall message about Fedde's release is an accepting one. While it's difficult to cut ties with anyone, Fedde was understanding, and Marmol was able to articulate why the move had to come to pass. Fedde's DFA'ing comes on the heels of one of his worst starts of the season. He lasted just three innings against the Rockies, allowing six earned runs and notching his seventh straight loss. This season, Fedde had a 5.22 ERA and a 3-10 record before being designated for assignment. Earlier in the year, against the Washington Nationals, Fedde had a complete game shutout. MORE: MLB insider reveals three relievers Cardinals are most likely to trade But, even at that point, despite being just eight starts into the year, Fedde's ERA was sitting at 3.86. After 5.1 scoreless in the next game, Fedde took a major step back in his next 11 starts. He had a 7.11 ERA from May 20th until the July 22nd start against the Rockies, which was the final straw. But, most of the damage came in his final five starts in a Cardinals uniform. In his final five-start, Fedde had a 13.25 ERA, allowing eight home runs, 33 hits, 26 runs, walking 11, and striking out only eight. His struggles were too much, and as Marmol mentioned, Fedde had plenty of chances to turn the corner. But, he couldn't, which led to him being designated for assignment in the final year of a two-year, $15 million deal. Fedde now will hit the open market, and while he wasn't the best, he could find a new home. MORE MLB NEWS: Padres make Dylan Cease, Michael King trade deadline decisions Padres 'don't match up' with Red Sox in trade for All-Star MVP Tigers 'make a lot of sense' in trade for $275 million All-Star third baseman Tigers expected to aggressively pursue impact closer at trade deadline Astros named a 'strong trade fit' for Braves three-time All-Star silver slugger MLB insider reveals Guardians' trade demands for Steven Kwan
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cardinals provide update following Lars Nootbaar exit from Nationals game
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar exited Thursday's game against the Washington Nationals in the seventh inning due to rib discomfort, causing concern among fans. However, the Cardinals quickly addressed the situation, with manager Oli Marmol describing the move as precautionary. MORE: Major League Baseball announces incredible Tigers' Casey Mize news Advertisement According to Marmol, Nootbaar felt soreness in his rib cage during the game and was removed to avoid aggravating the issue. The team is optimistic he'll be ready to return to the lineup as early as Friday. Nootbaar is currently in his fifth big-league season with the Cardinals, having worked his way up from an eighth-round draft pick in 2018 to becoming a strong contributor in the outfield. His breakout campaign came in 2023, when he hit .261 with 14 homers and 46 RBIs, showing off both power and on-base ability. A Slower Start in 2025, But Power Numbers Climb Through 86 games in 2025, Nootbaar is hitting .230 with a .721 OPS. While his overall numbers are down compared to past seasons, he's already hit 12 home runs and driven in 37 runs. At this pace, he's likely to set new career highs in both categories by the end of the season. Advertisement The 27-year-old still has two years of team control left through arbitration and isn't eligible for free agency until 2028. That gives the Cardinals plenty of flexibility with his future, especially if he rebounds at the plate in the second half. Nootbaar's Health Is Key for Cardinals Playoff Push With St. Louis sitting at 50-44, just one game back of a National League Wild Card spot and 5.5 games behind the division-leading Cubs, every game matters from here on out. The Cardinals have been hit with injuries, such as Ivan Herrera, Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman throughout the year, and losing another starter, even briefly, would hurt. Nootbaar's return to full strength will be critical for the Cardinals as they aim to stay in the playoff picture. His ability to get on base, work counts, and deliver clutch hits gives the lineup balance, especially as the team find in a tight division race. Advertisement For now, it looks like Nootbaar avoided anything serious, but the Cardinals will keep a close eye on him moving forward. Fans can expect to see him back on the field soon, barring any setbacks. St. Louis hosts the Atlanta Braves this weekend before the All-Star break. MORE MLB NEWS:
