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The Miami Marlins have undergone a tough 2024 season as the team sits 60-100 with two games left in the campaign. Manager Skip Schumaker is finishing up his second season at the helm and his first under president of baseball operations Peter Bendix.
As the campaign draws to a close, numerous reports indicate that Schumaker will be leaving the team for the rest of the season due to the loss of someone close to him.
“Skip Schumaker is leaving the Marlins due to a death in his family,” reported Marlins beat writer Craig Mish on X, formerly Twitter. “He is not expected to return before the end of the season. In all likelihood, his time managing the Marlins has come to a close.”
Bendix, the former Tampa Bay Rays general manager, took over last winter, and Schumaker was hired by former GM Kim Ng. Based on the season they've had, it makes sense that the new head of baseball ops would want his own manager running the team.
After helping lead the Marlins to a playoff berth last season, Schumaker won NL Manager of the Year. However, after the regression that the major league team has undergone this year, it might be best for the Marlins and their manager to head on separate paths.
Skip Schumaker, Marlins might part ways after season
It looks as if the Marlins are entering the first stages of a rebuild. Bendix has been busy tearing away pieces from last year's contending squad, trading away players like closer Tanner Scott and utility man Luis Arraez.
Young starters like Sandy Alcantara (the former NL Cy Young Award winner) should return next season and hopefully get back to their old levels of productivity. There is also minor league talent coming through the system, like starting pitching prospect Thomas White.
This is likely just the beginning for Bendix and his staff, and it's likely that Schumaker will want to move on to another opportunity.
The manager will likely be the top name on every other team that will need a new manager, such as the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox. Other clubs that could hire the current Miami skipper include the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays and Colorado Rockies.
It's a good offseason for both the Marlins brass and their current manager to be in the hunt for new opportunities. Although Schumaker leaving the team now is a bit unfortunate, it might be better for the coach to leave sooner rather than later. Even though he might not get the chance to say goodbye to his players, cutting ties now could be the best thing to do in the long run.
However, right now, the best course of action is to finish the season strong for both themselves and for Schumaker. Maybe that type of finish will lead on to bigger and better things for both parties.
