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Cardinals sign manager Oliver Marmol to 2-year extension, team announces

Rhiannon Walker
Contributing writer
·2 min read
24
St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol received a two-year extension Friday, the Cardinals announced. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Oliver Marmol will no longer enter the 2024 season as a lame-duck manager.

On Friday, the St. Louis Cardinals skipper received a two-year extension to keep him with the franchise through the 2026 season.

The two sides were able to quickly work out the deal following a Thursday night meeting between Marmol, chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak. A news conference to reveal the move was announced Friday.

"It means a lot," Marmol said during the news conference. "The fact that they were willing to make the commitment to allow me to continue to do this means a lot. Having their support and believing the way that I lead will be meaningful for years to come is special to me."

The 37-year-old and youngest manager in MLB took over the position after the departures of previous managers Mike Shildt and Mike Matheny. Marmol previously worked as a coach on St. Louis' staff from 2017 to 2021. He ascended from first-base coach to the team's bench coach in 2019 before being promoted to manager ahead of the 2022 season.

Marmol has been with the organization since being drafted in the sixth round of the 2007 MLB Draft. His coaching career with St. Louis began in 2011, when he became a hitting coach at the Rookie level.

"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," DeWitt said in a statement. "We are pleased to have Oli under contact for the next three seasons."

In his debut season as manager, the Cardinals won the National League Central, thanks to a 93-69 record and reached the postseason. St. Louis ultimately lost its wild-card series to the Philadelphia Phillies, who represented the NL in the 2022 World Series.

A year later, the Cardinals brought up the rear in the NL Central and finished with a 71-91 record. That marked the team's fewest wins in a 162-game season since 1990, when the Cardinals went 70-92.

Marmol has a 164-160 record in his first two seasons. He acknowledged before the extension that he believed he was coaching for his job heading into 2024.

“It’s a high-stakes environment,” Marmol said. “If you’re insecure, then this [manager’s] seat’s not for you … I want the best people in that clubhouse, in that dugout, on our staff and I’ll continue to do that.”