Look away, Cardinals fans.
When Skip Schumaker’s club option on his contract was rescinded ahead of the 2024 season, it was evident that the next season would be his final with the Miami Marlins. Their season, which was about as bad as one could have predicted only one year after a surprising postseason berth, made it evident that Schumaker would leave. The only question was: where will he wind up?
The Chicago White Sox have always been a possibility, but would Schumaker really want to play for what is likely to be the worst team in MLB history? The St. Louis Cardinals, whom Schumaker previously played for, are another team that has been highly connected to him. They’d have to dismiss Oli Marmol first, but the Cardinals seem like an ideal fit for a proven MLB manager.
Now, after the Cincinnati Reds fired manager David Bell on Sunday, they appear to be an attractive prospect.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Reds are already looking at Schumaker as a prospective successor. If that is not nightmare fuel for Cardinals fans, it’s hard to imagine what is.
Cardinals could lose out on Skip Schumaker to worst possible team
If the Cardinals lose Schumaker, whether to keep Marmol or hire someone else, they’d prefer that the 2023 NL Manager of the Year stay out of their division. Teams like the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers are set in the dugout with Craig Counsell and Pat Murphy, respectively, but the Reds do not yet have a manager, and they believe they can do major damage with Schumaker.
Yes, Cincinnati’s 2024 season did not go as planned, as they would finish under.500 just one year after appearing to be real postseason candidates. Having said that, they had the same bad luck as every other National League team.
Matt McLain, one of their finest players from last season, missed all of 2024 due to injuries. Jeimer Candelario, their huge free agent signing from the winter, has missed significant time due to injuries. Noelvi Marte, a promising prospect, was caught using PEDs and missed a significant amount of the season.
On the pitching front, nearly every Reds starter lost some time due to injuries. Their bullpen wasn’t as battered, but it struggled. Alexis Diaz, in particular, took a step back following his All-Star season in 2023.
Everything seemed to go wrong for the 2024 Reds, yet they are still just five games under.500 as of this writing and have a positive run differential. Having a positive run differential means that the Reds are better than their record shows. They have a very young and dynamic core lead by electrifying talents like Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene, who are potential of putting together monster years, as well as a solid supporting cast that includes Spencer Steer and Nick Lodolo, all of whom can provide huge sparks.
The 2024 season did not go as planned, but with better health and a stronger bullpen, this Reds squad may have emerged as a contender sans Schumaker. With Schumaker, a manager who led an undermanned Marlins team to the playoffs, the sky is the limit.
This Reds club has far more talent than the 2023 Marlins, and Schumaker led them to the postseason. The prospect of Schumaker joining a talented and youthful team in the NL Central should not be thrilling for Cardinals fans.
