Miami Marlins Could Potentially Lose Manager After 2024 Season
Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker won the NL Manager of the Year award last season after guiding the Marlins to their first non-pandemic season playoff berth since 2003.
And so, Miami rewarded him by...voiding his contract option?
MLB Insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today has reported that Miami voided the club option year on Schumaker's contract over the winter, allowing the 44-year-old former MLB outfielder to depart the team after this season concludes.
It's an interesting move from Miami, but one that makes sense. The Marlins as an organization have seemingly not been satisfied with some of their off-field hires in recent years, reportedly attempting to demote then-general manager Kim Ng after last season. Ng declined her half of the mutual option and departed the organization, being replaced by former Tampa Bay Rays front office executive Peter Bendix.
And the belief here is that Ng's departure could have something to do with this, as reportedly, Schumaker wasn't happy about the change.
There's also the idea that Bendix may want to bring in his own manager, someone who he has a pre-existing relationship with and who might potentially be better aligned with future front office decisions.
And if Schumaker is allowed to walk, which feels like a bad idea, he'd instantly be one of the more attractive managerial options for the 2025 season. It's unlikely that any team wanting to hire a new manager after this season would decline to at least interview a former Manager of the Year, especially one that's seen as having guided a suboptimal roster to a surprise playoff spot jsut last season.
Managing Editor for Blackerby Media, covering the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins Also: Senior Baseball Writer for Auburn Daily, member of both the National College Baseball Writers Association and Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (where he won the 2023 Prospects, Minors, & College Writer of the Year award)