The Miami Marlins have their new manager.
The Marlins finalized a deal on Saturday to hire Clayton McCullough as their next manager. according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. McCullough will replace Skip Schumaker in South Florida, who parted ways with the club at the end of the regular season.
BREAKING: The Marlins are hiring Dodgers 1B coach Clayton McCullough as their new manager, sources told ESPN.
McCullough, who spent the past four seasons on Dave Roberts’ staff in LA, will succeed Skip Schumaker in Miami.
— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) November 10, 2024
McCullough was a candidate for the Chicago White Sox manager position, which eventually went to Will Venable. Craig Albernaz was considered a favorite to be hired by the Marlins, but the Cleveland Guardians bench coach withdrew from consideration.
The 44-year-old McCullough has been the first base coach of the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2021. He had reportedly spoken to the Marlins during their managerial search and as the Dodgers were on their way to an eighth World Series title.
McCullough interviewed for the Guardians manager job last season – a job that ultimately went to Stephen Vogt. He has also been part of management investigations by the Marlins, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets in recent seasons.
After a brief minor league career, McCullough became a manager in the Toronto Blue Jays organization before joining the Dodgers in 2015 as their minor league field coordinator. Marlins assistant general manager Gabe Kapler was with LA from 2014-2017 as director of player development. and overlaps with McCullough in the organization.
The Marlins haven’t finished higher than third in the NL East since 2020 and have made the playoffs just twice since winning the World Series in 2003. The team won 62 games in 2024, the lowest total over a full season of 162 games since 2019. Schumaker led the team for just two seasons and posted a 146-178 record.
This post will be updated soon with more information.
