The Miami Marlins are hiring Clayton McCullough as their next manager, ESPN reports. McCullough becomes the 17th manager in Marlins franchise history and the third since 2022. He inherits a 2024 Marlins team that finished 62-100 and in last place in the National League East.
McCullough, 44, has served as the Dodgers’ first-base coach since 2021. Prior to that, he managed for several seasons in the Blue Jays’ minor-league system. He and Marlins assistant general manager Gabe Kapler crossed over in the Dodgers’ player development department. As a player, McCullough was 22nd-round choice by Cleveland in 2002 out of East Carolina University. He then spent parts of four seasons as a catcher in the Cleveland system. McCullough never reached the majors as a player, but he did make it to the Triple-A level in his final season of 2005.
The Marlins were left in search of a new dugout leader after Skip Schumaker left at the end of the 2024 season. Following the departure of former general manager Kim Ng, who hired Schumaker, and the pivot toward a deep teardown under Ng’s replacement, president of baseball operations Peter Bendix, Schumaker’s contract was amended to remove a club option for 2025. The move was made presumably as a courtesy to Schumaker, who preferred to pursue other opportunities in baseball. Schumaker guided the Marlins to 84 wins and a surprise playoff berth in 2023, which earned him NL Manager of the Year honors. That, however, preceded the mighty struggles of 2024.
The Marlins’ near-term fortunes under McCullough don’t seem especially promising given the organization’s current status as a rebuilding team, as well as the dubious level of commitment of principal owner Bruce Sherman. Presumably, though, McCullough will be afforded a level of patience when it comes to the Marlins’ place in the standings and instead be judged on how he shepherds the development of the Marlins’ young players in place and arriving soon.
