Why Cardinals Made Right Decision To Keep Skipper, Avoid Pursuing 3x MVP

The St. Louis Cardinals have work to do this offseason after going 78-84 and finishing in fourth place in the National League Central.

Chaim Bloom has taken over as the new president of baseball operations, and he has been tasked with bringing this once-proud franchise back to prominence. The Cardinals have historically been one of Major League Baseball's best teams, but they have fallen quite far in the last decade, and Bloom will begin a much needed rebuild.

One of Bloom's first decisions was to keep manager Oli Marmol for 2026 despite speculation that franchise icon Albert Pujols could be an option to replace him. Meanwhile, Pujols appears to be the leading candidate to become the next manager of the Los Angeles Angels.

Why Cardinals Made Right Decision To Not Pursue Franchise Icon As Next Skipper

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols in the dugout during the national anthem before the start of a game against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Apr 5, 2019. | Robert Hanashiro / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ultimately, keeping Marmol and not pursuing Pujols was the right decision for the Cardinals. Pujols managed the Leones del Escogido of the Dominican League and led them to a championship, but has no experience as a Major League manager. Plus, the Cardinals are rebuilding, and Pujols wouldn't have much to work with in 2026.

The Cardinals have been burned when hiring managers with no experience in the past, with Mike Matheny being the most obvious example. Marmol ultimately made the most of limited resources in 2025, and replacing him would not make sense with the Cardinals not expected to contend in 2026.

Pujols certainly wouldn't be doing himself any favors by taking the reins of a team that has missed the postseason three straight years and finished under .500 twice in that span. While it could have been tempting for Bloom to cut ties with Marmol and pursue Pujols, keeping Marmol, who now has four years of experience makes the most sense.

Other teams could pursue Pujols as a manager, but it appears that he is the most likely candidate to take the job with the Angels after playing 10 seasons in Anaheim and beginning a personal services contract with the team following his retirement in 2022.

Hiring Pujols might have been a popular move with the fanbase, but it would simply be a sentimental decision rather than one that makes sense for the Cardinals in the present and the future.

It will be interesting to see if the three-time National League MVP and two-time World Series champion gets the job with the Halos.

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