The writing was on the wall from the moment manager Skip Schumaker informed the Miami Marlins he wasn’t planning to return in 2025 — if not earlier.
Back in April, it was reported that the 2025 club option for Schumaker’s contract had been voided at the manager’s own request. He confirmed the obvious last week, telling players he would not be back next year.
The final dominoes fell on Wednesday. Rather, they came crashing all at once. According to Craig Mish of the Miami Herald, the Marlins informed Schumaker’s entire coaching staff that none of them will return next year.
According to Mish, “There are a couple exceptions who were informed there is interest to be brought back, potentially with whoever is hired as Manager. Obviously, they could opt to pursue other opportunities.”
Schumaker won the 2023 NL Manager of the Year after leading the team to a surprise playoff berth. But he was reportedly upset when general manager Kim Ng, who hired Schumaker in Oct. 2022, resigned rather than stay on as a subordinate in the team’s baseball operations department.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – JUNE 2: Kim Ng General Manager of the Miami Marlins talks with Skip Schumaker #55 Manager of the Miami Marlins prior to the game against the Oakland Athletics at loanDepot park on June 2, 2023 in Miami, Florida. Schumaker’s coaching staff was told they can look elsewhere for jobs in 2025.
Jasen Vinlove/Miami Marlins/Getty Images
Under new president of baseball operations Peter Bendix, the Marlins were depleted by injuries and trades, unsurprisingly finishing 62-100 — baseball’s third-worst record.
Eleven uniformed coaches served under Schumaker in 2024: bench coach Luis Urueta, hitting coach John Mabry, assistant hitting coaches Bill Mueller and Jason Hart, pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre, first base/outfielders coach Jon Jay, third base coach Griffin Benedict, infield coach Jody Reed, bullpen coach Wellington Cepeda, bullpen coordinator Rob Flippo, field coordinator Rod Barajas.
The #Marlins have informed bench coach Luis Urueta and 1B/OF coach Jon Jay that there’s interest on having them back in the coaching staff for 2025. That, of course, will depend on who gets hired as a manager, sources tell @ElExtrabase.
— Daniel Álvarez-Montes (@DanielAlvarezEE) October 2, 2024
According to Daniel Alvarez-Montes, only Urueta and Jay were given the possibility to come back under a new manager. Still, plenty of teams would give the two a better opportunity to win in 2025.
The Marlins ran baseball’s 27th-highest payroll this year and the league’s 15th-best farm system, according to MLB Pipeline. To have a chance at being competitive next season, Bendix will need not only to maximize his limited budget but perhaps win a few more trades like those that allowed him to acquire prospect Connor Norby from the Baltimore Orioles in advance of the July 30 trade deadline.
Miami ranked second-to-last in MLB in earned-run average (4.73) and third-to-last in runs per game (3.93) in 2024 — hardly ingredients for a winning season. Wednesday’s move was less about signaling the coaches were to blame for the team’s hitting and pitching woes, and more a signal of a clean slate for the team’s next manager to assemble a staff that suits the team and the direction he wants to take it.
For the Marlins, there’s nowhere to go but up.
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