St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak may very well have tied his own future to manager Oli Marmol's this week, when he said he thought Marmol was a good manager and would be returning for the 2024 season. Mozeliak did not comment on Marmol's future beyond that, nor was he asked. Katie Woo of The Athletic spoke to how definitive Mozeliak was in his commentary:
"As he perched atop the dugout bench at Busch Stadium on Friday afternoon, St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak addressed what has perhaps the most pressing topic regarding his ballclub in the second half of the season," Woo said. "Manager Oli Marmol will return for 2024, the final year of his three-year contract signed in November 2021."
As Woo goes on to note, 2024 is the final year of Marmol's contract, so there is no guarantee he is brought back beyond that point. Unfortunately for Cards fans, it's unlikely that Mozeliak can be convinced otherwise as to Marmol's immediate future. But if St. Louis were to open up a managerial search right now, there are a few former foes who could slide right into the role.
Cardinals Rumors: Does Clint Hurdle make any sense?
Okay, this one is a bit of an outlier. Hurlde has had moderate success managing the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates, making it to the postseason in both instances. Hurdle hasn't managed a team since he was let go by Pittsburgh, and currently serves as a special assistant in Denver, where he seems quite happy. Hurdle calls his current gig "the best job that I've ever had."
"I'll try and spend six days, usually the homestand, with our affiliate and just watch," Hurdle said. "When (Schmidt, Rockies exec) reached out to me when he got the full-time job and asked me what I wanted to do, I said, 'Well, let me ask you a question. Where do you think I can impact most?'"
Hurdle is a veteran managerial mind and would be a wild change in approach from Marmol, who is one of the younger managers in all of baseball. Still, Hurdle's postseason success in Colorado and Pittsburgh, as well as his familiarity with the NL Central, does offer some optimism were he to take the job.
This fit is an unlikely one, though.
Cardinals Rumors: Why not hire Joe Maddon?
Joe Maddon has been out of baseball this year, and for good reason. He wanted to take a year off after his falling out with the Los Angeles Angels. Maddon is best known for his time with the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs, where his innovative approach quite literally changed the game as we know it today.
To join a franchise like St. Louis, Maddon would need to be given the freedom necessary to act on his own accord, something he thought was seriously lacking in Anaheim. Perhaps linking up with Mozeliak would be a good partnership, but it's unclear if they have a similar approach to player development.
Still, it's impossible to deny that Maddon tends to get results wherever he goes. The Angels did not work out as planned, unfortunately, but Maddon chalked that up to philosophical differences rather than blaming the players or coaching staff. With the talent the Cards already have in store, plus the positional flexibility they can offer, Maddon may be the brilliant managerial mind they desperately need to make up for deficiencies in other areas on the roster, like the pitching staff.
Cardinals Rumors: Craig Counsell is bound to leave Milwaukee. Why not for St. Louis?
Craig Counsell's future in Milwaukee is up in the air, and the Brewers manager could be one of the more high-profile free agents, and his playing days are long behind him. Counsell declined to extend his contract prior to the start of the regular season, and recent talks between the two sides broke down, as well.
"Relative to Craig's future, we actually met yesterday and decided that all the focus is going to be on the field," Mark Attanasio told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Everything's going so well that we'll get together after the season's over and talk about it."
Attanasio reaffirmed his confidence in Counsell, saying that the decision to return will ultimately fall on him. One can expect multiple teams to call Counsell's reps after the season, including the New York Mets, who just hired Counsell's former boss with the MIlwaukee Brewers, David Stearns.
The Cards will not be among the teams interested, but it sure would make sense for them to poke around and gauge Counsell's interest. When one of the best managers in baseball becomes available, you don't sit on your hands.