Cardinals could pursue former Cubs manager to upgrade from Oli Marmol

The St. Louis Cardinals are facing all kinds of problems right now. After overcoming a dreadful 15-24 start and surging back into contention, they've slipped back below the .500 mark with 41 games remaining.

In all likelihood, St. Louis will miss the postseason for a second straight year and could potentially even record back-to-back losing seasons, which is almost unheard of for the Cardinals.

If such happens, they may look to replace manager Oli Marmol, and Zach Pressnell of FanSided believes that they could look to an old rival for help.

"If the Cardinals are going to go out of their comfort zone while looking for a manager, they could end up heavily discussing the possibility of bringing the great Joe Maddon to St. Louis to be their skipper," Pressnell wrote.

Maddon managed the Tampa Bay Rays to the 2008 World Series and later left to join the Chicago Cubs. There, he helped the North Siders break their curse, leading them to a title in 2016.

After 2019, he became the manager of the Los Angeles Angels, where he had less success. He was ultimately fired in 2022.

But even after a few years away from the game, Maddon is a proven winner who would be able to connect with his players instantly. He's a player's manager, which could certainly benefit St. Louis in 2025 and beyond.

We'll see if he becomes an option for St. Louis in the event that Marmol is fired at the end of the season.

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