The St. Louis Cardinals may fire their current manager, Oli Marmol, if the team fails to reach the postseason. The Cardinals will then consider all of their alternatives for their next skipper, including managers who have no past relationship with the franchise.
At the trade deadline, the St. Louis Cardinals added Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham to their roster. Both players have performed well this season. Top prospect Jordan Walker has been recalled. Every step they make is an attempt to win right now.
However, they are currently facing a significant collapse, as evidenced by their last three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, in which David Bell’s Reds whitewashed Oli Marmol’s Cardinals.
Speaking of Oli Marmol, there may not be a manager in a hotter seat than Marmol is right now. The Cardinals are anxious to win before their older players leave, and Marmol simply isn’t doing it.
They will cover all bases as they seek a replacement for their current skipper. They will even consider potential managers who have no prior experience with the team, such as the three men I’m about to discuss.
3. Terry Francona
I’ll admit it: this isn’t the most likely. Terry Francona stepped down from management while the Guardians were doing well. Francona departed and went into management retirement on his own terms, rather than being fired and compelled to. With that said, it’s worth noting that persuading Francona to come out of retirement would be a difficult task.
The Cardinals could try to find a way to get Francona back to manage games, as he would be a significant boost over what they have presently.
Thomas Gauvain of Redbirds Rants recently discussed possible managerial options for the Cardinals. He highlighted Francona and how he may make a comeback in management.
“Tim Kurkjian of ESPN recently reported that Terry Francona would consider returning to the field in the next year and a half. Kurkjian reports that ‘(I) was told Tito is going to get healthy and then he’ll be back [managing] in a year and a half…he loves the game, part of his fiber in every way, would not be shocked to see him back.'”
If Francona decides to return to manage, St. Louis could be the ideal landing spot.
2. Carlos Beltran
If the Cardinals do fire Marmol at the conclusion of the season, or even sooner, they will most likely start looking at internal candidates or other former Cardinals. If they don’t work out, they could wind up with someone like MLB veteran Carlos Beltran, who played for the Cardinals from 2012 to 2013.
Thomas Gauvain of Redbird Rants recently proposed that Beltran become the Cardinals’ manager.
“Carlos Beltran was close to becoming a manager just 3 years after his retirement. The New York Mets planned to have Beltran be their manager in 2020, but the two parties mutually agreed to part ways due to Beltran’s involvement in the Houston Astros cheating scandal in 2017. He never managed a game.”
Beltran has the tools to manage a major league club, as evidenced by the Mets’ willingness to hire him prior to the incident. That scandal is no longer relevant and should not be used to judge Beltran.
He is well-known for his baseball IQ and leadership skills. If Marmol makes the cut, the Cardinals would be silly not to consider bringing him to St. Louis.
1. Joe Maddon
If the Cardinals are willing to step outside of their comfort zone in their search for a manager, they may end up seriously considering bringing the great Joe Maddon to St. Louis to be their skipper.
Maddon was the Tampa Bay Rays manager for nine seasons, winning the division twice and the AL pennant once. He then joined the Chicago Cubs as manager for five seasons, during which time he won a pennant and a World Series championship, snapping the Cubs’ championship drought in 2016. Maddon last managed the Los Angeles Angels from 2020 to 2022.
Maddon is a legendary manager who has achieved success at every level, except in Los Angeles with the Angels. Nonetheless, he was able to keep the team together far better than they were without him.
If the Cardinals can persuade Maddon to return to baseball management for the first time in three years, he would be an ideal candidate. Other teams may be interested in managing great as well.
