More than ready to turn the page on last season's last-place finish, Cardinals third-year manager Oli Marmol first turned his signature bluntness inward Monday when asked how such a sour 2023 season settled over an offseason that is nearing its end.
"It tested my character," Marmol said. "It really did. It made you sit back and think through what went well, what didn't and what I would do different. The reality is, I needed to be better. Last year wasn't good enough. And our staff needs to be better. That starts with me. We are looking ahead. Last year was unacceptable from the standpoint of what it looked like. You learn a lot from that. You really do."
The Cardinals are hoping that keeping together the bulk of an offense that showed promise last season pays dividends in 2024. They're hoping three proven veterans added to the rotation through free agency and a retooled bullpen via signings and trades excels at reversing league-lagging pitching performance. They're hoping a more regular defensive alignment will clean up some of the miscues that messed up last season. They're hoping an increased coaching staff size and new front-office additions in special advisers Chaim Bloom and Yadier Molina create new pluses.
Perhaps more than anything, though, they're hoping the 2024 team is a better team. As in fewer individuals and more team-first players all pulling in the same direction.
"I'll try to keep this short," Marmol said. "162 is a long season. You're going to have ups, downs. It's how well can you take the downside of a season. You go on stretches that, quite simply, suck. If you are in that clubhouse and you have a group that truly trusts each other, that loves the grind, together. They truly trust each other. They're in it for one reason and it has nothing to do what's on their back. They truly trust coming together as a club, grinding through it. They know about each other. They know about each other's families. They are grinding in one direction. When you can do that, good things happen. And you have a sustainable culture for a very long time. That's the aim. That's all I care about right now."
Including his contract situation.
Marmol is set to head to spring training on a deal that expires after the 2024 season. Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. indicated Monday that he hopes to see Marmol manage the team beyond 2024. Performance will say more.
"For 18 years, I've woken up and wanted to make the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals better," Marmol said. "This is no different."
I've got a column coming on Marmol's situation entering this season, but for now, here are some rapid-fire takeaways from the manager during his swing through the media room on Winter Warm-up's final day:
Marmol is encouraged a beefed-up pitching coaching staff will lead to better results.
Assistant pitching coach Dean Kiekhefer and major league coordinator of technology and system DC MacLea are already being praised by players as welcome additions.
"The reality is you have so much more information available to you," Marmol said. "You have a lot more ways to advance the opposition. You have a lot more technology to help make adjustments when it comes to mechanics on the pitching side, the hitting side. So increasing the number of staff only makes sense. You only have so many hours in the day. You want to make sure that certain positions are really intentional about being relational with the player and being available to the player. The more you are head down in the tech stuff, the numbers, the advanced scouting, the less one on one time you have with players. Increasing the staff allows us to do both."
Marmol said he's been trying to get former minor league teammate Daniel Descalso, his new bench coach, back with the Cardinals for a while. Descalso was teammates with current Cardinals Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt and Lance Lynn.
"He's a winner," Marmol said. "He does a good job of being direct with players but he does it in a way where he's continuously earning their trust. We came through the organization together. We have a relationship. It was good to bring him in. I'm really looking forward to it. He's going to have a huge impact. He's super relatable, has good relationships with our veteran group. It's the perfect fit and the right time."
Marmol declined to name Sonny Gray his opening day starter, joking that it's usually a question he doesn't have to start deflecting until the start of spring training. He didn't hesitate to comment on how much he loved the front office's addition of Gray and fellow veterans Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson.
"Every move that has been made has been made with a purpose," Marmol said. "These guys are going to add to the win column, no doubt about that. That's why they're here. But they're also going to do a good job of speaking life into that clubhouse. When you look at Sonny Gray, I can't say it enough, he's just a competitor. He wakes up and he wants to kill. I love the way he thinks about the game. Student of the game. Loves bringing people alongside with him. Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson are no different. These are guys who are hungry to win but also know what it takes to bring a club together. When you talk about a sustainable culture, that's extremely important."
With seven shutout innings in a 4-0 victory opposite phenom Paul Skenes, right-hander continued to showcase the big payoff he got from betting…
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol is interviewed by Tom Ackerman at Cardinals Winter Warm-Up at Ballpark Village in ºüÀêÊÓƵ on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. Photo by Vanessa Abbitt, vabbitt@post-dispatch.com