St. Louis Cardinals manager Oli Marmol may have taken a shot at young pitching prospect Matthew Liberatore, who was scheduled to start against the Guardians.
Intentional or not, sometimes Oli Marmol says a little too much.
When Marmol criticized Tyler O'Neill for his lack of hustle to start the season (despite a prevailing hamstring injury from last year), he made the mistake of making his feelings public. When he moved Willson Contreras off of the catcher position only to place him right back behind the plate a week later, he failed to articulate precisely why he didn't stick to his guns.
On Tuesday, Marmol was asked why young pitcher Matthew Liberatore, who had been scheduled to start against the Cleveland Guardians later this week, would instead come out of the bullpen Tuesday night.
Marmol made Liberatore's development sound like a lost cause.
Surely, that is not how Marmol meant to come across. Liberatore has made some steady improvements in the minors and major-league level. So far this season, he has looked decent in two appearances, including one in relief.
Cardinals: Why did Oli Marmol insult Matthew Liberatore?
Liberatore's role is unclear at this juncture, which has become a theme with the Cardinals this season. They have a crowded outfield, a catcher who was once moved off his position, and now a pitching prospect with an indecisive fit.
St. Louis actually does need pitching help, which makes it all the more perplexing why Liberatore would be used as a relief pitcher, rather than starting a game at a later date.
By insinuating that Liberatore won't be able to go deep in the game against Cleveland, it also shows a disturbing lack of faith in one of St. Louis's bright young pitching prospects. This is an organization that has already abandoned the likes of Sandy Alcantara and Zac Gallen. Can they really afford to play loose with Liberatore?
