On Friday, the St. Louis Cardinals and manager Oliver Marmol reached an agreement to extend his contract for two years, keeping him in charge through the 2026 season.
“It means a lot,” Marmol explained. “The fact that they were prepared to make the commitment to allow me to continue doing this is extremely important. It means a lot to me to have their support and know that the way I lead will be significant for years to come.
Marmol, 37, has been with the Cardinals since 2007, when he was selected in the sixth round. The former middle infielder began teaching in 2011 and quickly ascended through the ranks, eventually landing with the big league club as first base coach in 2017. He became bench coach in 2019 and succeeded Mike Shildt following the 2021 season.The extension came together really rapidly. Marmol spoke with Bill DeWitt Jr., chairman, and John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations, Thursday night. The deal was announced on Friday afternoon.
“Oli is a well-respected member of the Cardinals organization, who came up through the ranks of our player development system, and has made a nice transition to managing at the Major League level,” he said in a statement. “We are pleased to have Oli under contract for the next three seasons.”
The agreement between Marmol and the Cardinals is remarkable given that the team is coming off its worst season in three decades. They placed last in their division for the first time since 1990.
Marmol was in the final year of his initial three-year contract with the Cardinals when he agreed to the extension. In January, he confessed that it wasn’t ideal and that he believed he was coping with his work in 2024.
“It’s a high-stakes environment,” Marmol explained. “If you’re insecure, don’t take this [manager’s] seat. I want the greatest people in the clubhouse, in the dugout, and on our staff, and I will continue to do so.”
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