Marlins Request Interview With Guardians Bench Coach Craig Albernaz, Per Report

With their managerial position still vacant, the Miami Marlins have reportedly asked the Cleveland Guardians for permission to interview their bench coach, Craig Albernaz.

Feb 22, 2024; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Cleveland Guardians coach Craig Albernaz poses for a photo during Media Day at the Cleveland Guardians Spring Training Facility. / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The Miami Marlins have asked the Cleveland Guardians for permission to interview their bench coach, Craig Albernaz, regarding their own open manager position, ESPN's Buster Olney reported Thursday evening.

Albernaz has been tied to the Marlins' managerial opening for the past week, as the New York Post's Jon Heyman reported that he was considered to be a "big target" for the club last Thursday.

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.

The Miami Marlins have asked for permission to interview Craig Albernaz, the Guardians' bench coach, for their managerial opening. Albernaz has deep roots in the Tampa Bay organization -- the former employer of Peter Bendix, who is now the head of baseball operations for the…

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) October 17, 2024

Albernaz cut his teeth in the Tampa Bay Rays' farm system, holding 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.

Albernaz's ties to two of the most notable names in Miami's executive suite explain the team's interest in him, but his qualifications don't end there. The Guardians are currently battling the New York Yankees in the ALCS, all while being led by Albernaz and first-year manager Stephen Vogt.

The former minor league catcher will turn 42 years old later this month.

The Guardians probably won't make a decision regarding the Marlins' interest in Albernaz until after their season is done. While they currently trail New York 2-1 in the ALCS, Cleveland snatched a major win in Game 3 that could give them the momentum they need to extend the fight.

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