Oliver Marmol Reportedly to Be Hired as Cardinals Manager After Mike Shildt's Exit

The St. Louis Cardinals are hiring Oliver Marmol as their next manager, according to The Athletic's Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal.

The 35-year-old was St. Louis' bench coach last season, and ESPN's Jeff Passan reported he was "the favorite from the start" after the Cardinals fired Mike Shildt.

Shildt's departure came as a surprise after the team rallied to qualify for the National League Wild Card Game. The Cardinals were 252-199 in his three-plus seasons in charge.

President of baseball operations John Mozeliak chalked the move up to a "philosophical difference" the two sides couldn't bridge. Woo reported the issues arose midway through the 2021 season and didn't arise suddenly once the year ended.

Turning around and promoting Marmol seemingly speaks to a desire to avoid overhauling the coaching staff.

Maintaining continuity can be beneficial for a franchise that's coming off three consecutive playoff appearances and should have the bulk of its roster back. Nolan Arenado has confirmed he intends to opt in for 2022. Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright are committed for at least one more year.

Some may have some reservations about Marmol's promotion, though.

Woo noted he'll be the youngest manager in MLB. The Cardinals will be aiming for the postseason once again, so the Florida native won't have much time to settle into the new job before he'll need to deliver results.

And for as much as "The Cardinal Way" has guided the organization, skeptics may counter that an outsider may have helped freshen things up a bit. 

Shildt had been the third-base coach and bench coach prior to ascending to the manager position. His predecessor, Mike Matheny, played five years for the team and transitioned to an advisor role in retirement before succeeding Tony La Russa.

Shildt's experience with the Cardinals didn't prevent his eventual impasse with the front office, and Matheny's tenure isn't remembered all that fondly despite the early success he enjoyed.

Perhaps Marmol will succeed where Shildt failed, and his age means he could be a good fit for a rebuild if Mozeliak decides to pivot away from the older stars on the roster.