Beloved Former Cardinal Will Be Option If Manager Job Opens

Will the Cardinals consider a reunion in the near future?

Sep 10, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker (45) looks on from the dugout against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals made some progress this season, but there still is more work to do.

St. Louis will finish above .500 this year, but that doesn't get it in the playoffs. The Cardinals need to find a way to add some more firepower this offseason, so hopefully the club can be a little more consistent in 2025.

There certainly will be changes made to the roster, but maybe some others as well. There already has been building speculation that the Cardinals could go in a different direction from manager Oliver Marmol. That question is still up in the air, but if they decide to do so, there will be a very intriguing person on the open market.

Former Cardinals utility man and champion Skip Schumaker has developed into one of the top managers in baseball. There have been some issues with the Miami Marlins, and because of this, it has been speculated that he could be on the move. Now, that is a reality, as he told the team he won't be returning in 2025, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

"Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker will not return to the team in 2025, sources told ESPN, ending his tenure after two seasons and making him among the most coveted free agents this winter," Passan said. "Schumaker told Marlins players he would not be back next season after their 15-5 victory against Toronto on Friday night, sources said. He told the players while informing them he would miss the final two games of this season to address a family issue...

"Other teams with unclear managerial futures include the Toronto Blue Jays, the Colorado Rockies, and the St. Louis Cardinals, with whom Schumaker spent the first eight years of his major league career. Schumaker spent the 2022 season as the bench coach for Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol, who this spring received a contract extension through the 2026 season."

Could a reunion be on the horizon?

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