Although John Mozeliak is in his final season overseeing the Cardinals, manager Oliver Marmol is clearly frustrated with the team’s construction—particularly the bullpen—which has been a major issue early in 2025.
This is the third consecutive year that the Cardinals have stumbled out of the gate in April. In 2023, their rotation fell apart; in 2024, the offense couldn’t produce; and now, in 2025, it’s the bullpen that’s costing them games. After Ryan Fernandez’s latest poor outing, Marmol openly expressed concern about his bullpen choices—comments that seem more like veiled criticism of Mozeliak than frustration with the players.
Marmol stated that they must work with the pitchers they have because there’s no help coming from the minors. He emphasized the need to improve the current group, even if that means enduring growing pains.
During the offseason, the Cardinals failed to make significant roster upgrades, despite talking about a rebuild or “transition year.” While the rotation was already mishandled, the lack of action to strengthen the bullpen is now becoming more apparent. In 2024, the bullpen was solid early on but faded as the season progressed. Instead of reinforcing it, Mozeliak waited until the last minute to sign Phil Maton, who’s been one of the few bright spots.
Some have interpreted Marmol’s comments as throwing his players under the bus, but they more likely reflect his frustration with the front office. Veteran relievers could have helped stabilize the bullpen and given the team more trade options midseason. With limited arms available, Marmol is left trying to manage a bullpen that wasn’t properly prepared for a competitive season.
Fernandez has since been sent down to Triple-A Memphis and replaced by Riley O’Brien, but the bullpen problems run much deeper. While Marmol hasn’t managed the bullpen perfectly, the blame for its lack of depth falls more on Mozeliak than on the manager.