Did Oli Marmol take a shot at one of Cardinals top prospects?

St. Louis Cardinals head Oli Marmol whitethorn person taken a changeable astatine young pitching imaginable Matthew Liberatore, who was scheduled to commencement against nan Guardians.

Intentional aliases not, sometimes Oli Marmol says a small excessively much.

When Marmol criticized Tyler O’Neill for his deficiency of hustle to commencement nan play (despite a prevailing hamstring wounded from past year), he made nan correction of making his feelings public. When he moved Willson Contreras disconnected of nan catcher position only to spot him correct backmost down nan sheet a week later, he grounded to articulate precisely why he didn’t instrumentality to his guns.

On Tuesday, Marmol was asked why young pitcher Matthew Liberatore, who had been scheduled to commencement against nan Cleveland Guardians later this week, would alternatively travel retired of nan bullpen Tuesday night.

Marmol made Liberatore’s improvement sound for illustration a mislaid cause.

Surely, that is not really Marmol meant to travel across. Liberatore has made immoderate dependable improvements successful nan minors and major-league level. So acold this season, he has looked decent successful 2 appearances, including 1 successful relief.

Cardinals: Why did Oli Marmol reproach Matthew Liberatore?

Liberatore’s role is unclear astatine this juncture, which has go a taxable pinch nan Cardinals this season. They person a crowded outfield, a catcher who was erstwhile moved disconnected his position, and now a pitching imaginable pinch an indecisive fit.

St. Louis really does request pitching help, which makes it each nan much perplexing why Liberatore would beryllium utilized arsenic a alleviation pitcher, alternatively than starting a crippled astatine a later date.

By insinuating that Liberatore won’t beryllium capable to spell heavy successful nan crippled against Cleveland, it besides shows a disturbing deficiency of religion successful 1 of St. Louis’s agleam young pitching prospects. This is an statement that has already abandoned nan likes of Sandy Alcantara and Zac Gallen. Can they really spend to play loose pinch Liberatore?