Cards' Marmol gets 2-year extension amid rebuild

The St. Louis Cardinals have signed manager Oliver Marmol to a two-year contract extension that includes a club option for the 2029 season, it was announced Sunday.

The Cardinals have missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, going 78-84 in 2025 while finishing fourth in the NL Central.

Marmol, 39, has a 325-323 record in his four seasons in St. Louis.

“As I’ve gotten to know Oli, I’ve seen someone who cares about this organization and knows what has made the Cardinals special over time, and who understands that for us to get where we need to go, we must compete relentlessly to set new standards in everything that we do,” Cardinals president Chaim Bloom said in a statement. “He is invested in the progress of our young core and is unafraid to challenge himself and to help those around him grow.”

Marmol is the third-longest tenured manager in the NL behind the Dodgers‘ Dave Roberts and the Diamondbacks‘ Torey Lovullo.

He will be taxed with getting the most out of a very young and unproven lineup — highlighted by infielder JJ Wetherholt, a top Rookie of the Year candidate for 2026 — as new team president Chaim Bloom undergoes Year 1 of his rebuilding efforts. The only players older than 30 on the 40-man roster are infielder Ramon Urias and relievers Riley O’Brien and Ryne Stanek.

Marmol has been with the Cardinals since 2007, when he was still in his playing days. He spent five seasons as a manager in the minors before joining the coaching staff in 2017, and he was elevated to the St. Louis manager on Oct. 25, 2021.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.