Cardinals Skipper Hints St. Louis Found Perfect Glue Guy in Free Agency

You need the right personalities, not just the top talents

Feb 27, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol (37) looks on from the dugout before the game against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals had a quiet haul in free agency this winter, but they managed to add a couple of veterans to their pitching staff.

Starter Dustin May could light up radar guns and become a major turnaround story after his rough year with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox. And reliever Ryne Stanek not only has the talent for a turnaround of his own, but he might also play a crucial role in St. Louis' clubhouse.

Allow manager Oliver Marmol to explain.

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Stanek looks poised to play leadership role

Feb 17, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryne Stanek (55). Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

On Wednesday, Marmol described how impressed the Cardinals were with Stanek's potential leadership qualities when they were meeting with him throughout the free-agent process. On an extremely young pitching staff, one veteran for everyone to gravitate toward can make a world of difference.

“Outside of his skill set, he has done a nice job bringing this group together. This is part of the Zoom we had with him prior to signing,” Marmol told MLB.com's Bill Ladson “His personality is perfect. He does a really nice job of making the entire room feel like they belong.”

As it turns out, the Cardinals might have a veteran who has been retired for the last two seasons to thank for Stanek's leadership qualities: Tommy Hunter, who helped mentor his fellow righty as a youngster with the Tampa Bay Rays.

“As a young guy, he would say, ‘Come to dinner. We are going to do this,’” Stanek told Ladson. “He really didn’t give me a choice. It was like he wanted me involved. His thought was, 'This is how you take care of the young guys.'

"You are supposed to take them out to dinner. You are supposed to take them to do things. Show them what it means to be a pro. Not only that, Tommy was really good at taking care of people.”

Do the Cardinals need Stanek to be better than the 5.30 ERA hurler he was with the New York Mets last year? Absolutely. But in addition to leading by example, he can help set a number of careers off on the right foot by making guys feel at home.