Cleveland Guardians' Craig Albernaz Withdraws From Miami Marlins Manager Search

Craig Albernaz asserted himself as one of the top managerial candidates across all of MLB this year, but the Cleveland Guardians' bench coach won't be taking over the Miami Marlins in 2025.

Apr 6, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cleveland Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz (55) walks to the dugout after meeting with the umpires before the game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. / Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Cleveland Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz has withdrawn himself from consideration for the Miami Marlins' manager position, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Thursday.

Albernaz had been tied to the Marlins' managerial opening for most of the past month, with the New York Post's Jon Heyman reporting that he was considered to be a "big target" for the club. Miami eventually requested to interview Albernaz when Cleveland was still facing the New York Yankees in the ALCS.

As Passan noted in his report, the 42-year-old Albernaz is viewed in league circles as a future MLB manager. Between that reputation and his deep connections to the Marlins' current front office, many expected Albernaz to fit in nicely in Miami.

Albernaz cut his teeth in the Tampa Bay Rays' farm system, first as a catcher between 2006 and 2013, then in various coaching positions with various affiliates between 2015 and 2019. Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix was in the Rays' front office at the time.

For his first major league gig, Albernaz served as the San Francisco Giants' bench coach from 2020 to 2023. Gape Kapler, who was the Giants' manager during that same stretch, is now the Marlins' assistant general manager, working under Bendix.

Instead of following Bendix and Kapler to South Beach, Albernaz has opted to stay put in Cleveland for at least another year.

The Marlins have a vacancy at manager because they let Skip Schumaker's contract expire at the end of the 2024 season. Miami went on to clean house throughout the rest of the staff, setting them up for a fresh start with an outsider at the helm entering 2025.

Unfortunately for the Marlins, Albernaz won't be the one who guides them into the future.

Passan reported that Los Angeles Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough is now one of the leading candidates to take over in Miami. McCullough was previously a finalist to get the Chicago White Sox job before they went with Texas Rangers associate manager Will Venable.

The Marlins' vacancy in the only one left across the entire league.

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