Cardinals legend could be candidate to replace current manager, per insider

The St. Louis Cardinals are likely to miss the postseason for a second consecutive year as they sit six games back of the third National League Wild Card spot and 10 games back of first place in the NL Central.

This has led to some speculation that manager Oli Marmol could be on his way out if things don't improve for the 11-time World Series champions, even though Marmol received a contract extension at the beginning of the season despite a 71-91 finish in 2023.

The extension came as somewhat of a surprise, but it hasn't stopped the speculation. Robert Murray of FanSided proposed that a franchise legend could fill Marmol's shoes if he is ultimately let go.

"Yadier Molina's resume speaks for itself. The 42-year-old is a future Hall of Famer who played 19 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, won nine Gold Gloves, made 10 All-Star appearances, and hit .277/.327/.388 with a .726 OPS, 176 home runs, and 1,022 RBI," Murray wrote. "He has long been lauded as a future manager and his leadership qualities, deep ties to the Cardinals organization, and the respect and relationships he has around baseball should make it only a matter of time before he gets a job."

Molina was a valuable piece of the puzzle during his playing days. His absence was certainly felt after he retired in 2022. St. Louis finished in last place in the NL Central in 2023.

But his deep knowledge of baseball and relationships in the Cardinals organization make him a possible candidate to replace Marmol in the event that the latter is fired.

He was a leader in the clubhouse during his playing days and would instantly have the respect of the players if hired as the manager.

Molina also managed Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic a season ago, so he wouldn't come without any experience. It will certainly be interesting to see if the Cardinals take a look at him if they let Marmol go.

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