Will Venable, Craig Albernaz Reportedly Finalists For Marlins Manager
Rangers associate manager Will Venable and Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz are finalists for the Marlins’ managerial vacancy, report Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald. It seems the search will come down to one of those two. Mish notes in a separate post (on X) that he’s “not aware” of other finalists, though he leaves the door slightly open for the possibility of a mystery candidate emerging.
If it is indeed down to Venable and Albernaz, they’ll settle on Skip Schumaker’s replacement shortly. (An announcement may not come in the next few days, as MLB discourages teams from releasing significant news on days with a postseason game.) The Herald reports that both Albernaz and Venable are flying to Miami for in-person meetings with owner Bruce Sherman after conducting Zoom interviews for the first round. Jon Heyman of the New York Post tweets that Venable’s latest interview is occurring today.
Venable and Albernaz have been two of the hottest names in this year’s managerial cycle. They’ve both gotten consideration from the White Sox in their search. Venable has interviewed for the Chicago position. It’s not clear if Albernaz has had a formal sit-down with Sox brass or is simply on their list of potential hires.
Neither has major league managerial experience. Venable might have gotten an MLB job by now if he hadn’t taken himself out of consideration in previous offseasons. The former outfielder has a fair amount of experience as the #2 on a coaching staff. He spent two seasons as Alex Cora’s bench coach in Boston and has logged the last two years as an associate manager under Bruce Bochy in Arlington. The 42-year-old, a Princeton product, also logged three years on the Cubs’ staff after ending his playing career in 2016.
Albernaz, 41, did not reach the big leagues as a player. He has less experience than Venable in the coaching ranks as well. He joined the Giants as bullpen and catching coach during the 2019-20 offseason. After four seasons in San Francisco, he made the jump to bench coach for first-year skipper Stephen Vogt in Cleveland.
While Albernaz only has one year in a bench coach role, he’s a known commodity for Miami baseball operations president Peter Bendix and assistant GM Gabe Kapler. Albernaz was a minor league player and coach in the Rays’ organization while Bendix was Tampa Bay’s general manager. His four years with the Giants coincided with Kapler’s managerial tenure.
In other staffing news, MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola reports (on X) that Miami has hired Joe Migliaccio as director of hitting. Migliaccio, who had been with the Yankees as a hitting coordinator, will work in the player development department and oversee the team’s offensive performance at multiple levels. He is not going to be the MLB hitting coach. That role has yet to be filled and will probably wait until the managerial decision. Miami parted ways with Schumaker’s entire staff, including hitting coach John Mabry.
Craig Albernaz, Clayton McCullough Interviewed For Marlins Managerial Opening
The Marlins interviewed several candidates to be their next manager this week, including Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz and Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Earlier this week, Isaac Azout of Fish On First noted that McCullough would be interviewing for the position. As for Albernaz, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported earlier this month that the Marlins were interested in his services, but Jackson’s report is the first to confirm his interview. What’s more, Jackson notes that Albernaz is now “viewed as one of the top candidates” for the position, perhaps due to his time working alongside Marlins POBO Peter Bendix in the Rays organization. Albernaz and McCullough join Tigers bench coach George Lombard as the three candidates known to have interviewed for the job.
McCullough has never been a major league manager, although he has experience managing in the minor leagues with the Blue Jays organization from 2007-14. He has spent the past ten seasons with the Dodgers, first as a minor league field coordinator and more recently as the major league first base coach. McCullough has also been a candidate for several other managerial openings in recent years, having been connected at one point or another to such teams as the Mets, Brewers, Guardians, and Royals. Funnily enough, he interviewed to be the Marlins’ manager just two years ago, a job that ultimately went to Skip Schumaker. It’s worth mentioning that McCullough is also thought to be a contender for the White Sox’s current managerial opening. Bruce Levine of 670 The Score called him “a leading candidate” for the role in September, although his name was noticeably absent from Heyman’s list of “leading candidates” published earlier this week.
Like McCullough, Albernaz is a former catcher who has experience as a minor league manager, minor league field coordinator, and major league coach. From 2006-13, he played eight seasons in the Rays minor league system, and from 2015-19 he worked as a coach, manager, and minor league field coordinator in the Rays organization. His first big league coaching gig came with the Giants, where he worked under Marlins assistant GM Gabe Kapler, the Giants’ manager at the time. Funnily enough, McCullough has also worked alongside Kapler, when the two were employed in the Dodgers organization. Albernaz took on his current role as the Guardians’ bench coach last November. Before he was hired as Cleveland’s bench coach, he interviewed for the managerial position that ultimately went to Stephen Vogt.
Jackson suggests the Marlins are still in the early stages of their managerial hiring process. They will speak with at least six candidates over video chat before inviting the finalists to attend in-person interviews. It is unclear how many other candidates have had Zoom interviews so far – and who those other candidates might be – but former Marlins bench coach Luis Urueta and Giants assistant coach Alyssa Nakken are two more names who have been linked to the position in recent weeks. Former Marlins pitcher Anibal Sanchez also expressed interest in the gig, although there is no reason to believe his interest was reciprocated.
Marlins To Interview Clayton McCullough About Managerial Vacancy
As the Marlins continue to look for their next manager, the club has lined up an interview with Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough about the position, Isaac Azout of Fish On First reports (via X). McCullough becomes the second candidate known to formally interview with Miami, after Tigers bench coach George Lombard.
This isn’t the first link between McCullough and the Marlins, as the team also interviewed him in their last managerial search two years ago, before Skip Schumaker was hired. Schumaker’s two-season tenure saw the team reach the postseason in 2023, yet owner Bruce Sherman’s desire to focus on the farm system led to former GM Kim Ng leaving the organization last offseason, and the subsequent hiring of Peter Bendix as the new president of baseball operations put the Marlins back into rebuild mode. As was widely expected, Schumaker also parted ways with the Marlins after this season, leaving the club once again in search of a new bench boss.
Though McCullough is now speaking with a new Miami front office, he’ll have a familiar face on hand in Marlins assistant GM Gabe Kapler. McCullough and Kapler worked together with the Dodgers when McCullough was the team’s minor league field coordinator and Kapler the director of player development, before Kapler left Los Angeles to become the Phillies’ manager in the 2017-18 offseason. Following stints managing both the Phillies and Giants, Kapler was hired by Bendix as Miami’s assistant GM last December.
Beyond the Marlins’ search in 2022, McCullough has been a candidate for several other managerial openings in recent years. Most immediately, he has been linked to the White Sox and their current vacancy, which puts even more on McCullough’s plate as he is preparing for interviews as well as helping the Dodgers get ready for the World Series. The Mets, Brewers, Guardians, and Royals all had McCullough under consideration for managerial jobs, and McCullough was reportedly a finalist in Kansas City before the team hired Matt Quatraro.
The 44-year-old McCullough has been the Dodgers’ first base coach for the last four seasons, after working as the minor league field coordinator since 2015. While McCullough doesn’t have any managerial experience at the MLB level, he did manage at multiple levels of the Blue Jays’ farm system during the 2007-14 seasons, as he turned to coaching soon after his minor league playing career ended in 2005.
Lombard, Giants assistant coach Alyssa Nakken, Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz and former Marlins bench coach Luis Urueta are the other candidates reportedly on Miami’s radar. It isn’t known how close the Marlins could be to making an actual hire, though it is possible that their search could be somewhat complicated by the Dodgers’ lengthy playoff run, if they’ve been waiting to speak with McCullough.
Marlins Reach New Broadcast Deal With Diamond Sports Group
Attorneys for Major League Baseball and Diamond Sports Group revealed in court this morning that DSG and the Marlins reached a new broadcasting arrangement for the 2025 season (link via Evan Drellich of the Athletic). The Marlins did not announce the deal, nor has anyone reported specifics on the rights fees.
The Fish were one of 12 teams whose local broadcasts were carried on Diamond’s Bally Sports networks this past season. Diamond announced today that it has agreed to a naming rights deal with the sports gambling company FanDuel. The Bally Sports networks will be rebranded as FanDuel Sports networks, though there’s otherwise little change for consumers.
Amidst its ongoing bankruptcy proceeding, Diamond announced in early October that it would abandon its contracts with every team aside from the Braves. Of the 11 clubs that were dropped, the Twins, Guardians, Rangers and Brewers announced they would look elsewhere. The other seven indicated they might renegotiate deals with Diamond at a diminished rate.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that Diamond paid the Marlins around $50MM to carry games in the Miami area this past season. It’s not clear how much of a cut the Fish will take next year. Various teams have pointed to TV revenue issues as reasons for reducing player payroll. The Marlins don’t have much to cut at this point. They did virtually nothing last offseason, spending $5MM in free agency. They’re now amidst a complete rebuild and presumably aren’t going to spend more than a few million dollars this winter either.
The other six teams that remain in limbo are the Reds, Rays, Tigers, Angels, Cardinals and Royals. Diamond still needs to demonstrate to the bankruptcy court that it has a viable plan to move forward and avoid liquidation. Drellich notes that confirmation hearing is set to begin on November 14. Assuming the court approves the plan, Diamond will move forward with at least the Braves and Marlins for the ’25 season.
Latest On Marlins’ Managerial Search
There hasn’t been a lot of concrete information about the Marlins’ managerial search, but one formal candidate has now been identified, as Isaac Azout of Fish On First (X link) reports that Tigers bench coach George Lombard will interview about the position this week.
It is the second time in as many days that Lombard has been linked to a managerial opening, as the White Sox also reportedly have interest in speaking with the 49-year-old. Since the Tigers’ surprising playoff run only just ended last Saturday, it makes sense that Lombard is only now becoming available for interviews.
Lombard has some distant past ties to the Miami organization, as he played in the Marlins’ farm system back in 2008 but didn’t see any time with the club at the MLB level. His playing career ran from 1994-2009, and included 144 Major League games with four different teams from 1998-2006. Lombard played in 13 games with the Rays in 2006, though this predated the time that Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix spent in the Tampa front office.
Lombard’s only managerial experience came in the form of two seasons (2011-12) in rookie ball, running the Red Sox Gulf Coast League affiliate. Lombard spent six seasons overall working for Boston as a manager, coach, and coordinator in the minors, then briefly worked in a minor league coordinator role for the Braves in 2015 before the big leagues came calling.
After just a couple of months with Atlanta, Lombard was hired as the Dodgers’ first base coach, a role he held from 2016-20. The first two of Lombard’s seasons in Los Angeles overlaps with Gabe Kapler‘s stint as the Dodgers’ director of player development, which creates an interesting link to the Marlins since Kapler is now Miami’s assistant general manager.
Lombard won a World Series ring with L.A. in 2020 and was then hired by the Tigers as their bench coach during the 2020-21 offseason. The responsibilities of a bench coach vary from team to team, but the Detroit News’ Chris McCosky writes that Lombard’s chief duties include offensive game-planning, as well as coaching baserunning and outfield play.
The bench coach hire came after the Tigers also interviewed Lombard for their own managerial vacancy at the time, which was filled by A.J. Hinch. Lombard had previously been on the Pirates’ radar in their managerial search a year prior (before Derek Shelton was hired), and the Red Sox also reportedly had some interest in speaking with Lombard before Alex Cora was re-hired as manager in November 2020.
If hired as the Marlins’ next skipper, Lombard will be tasked with helping turn around a team in the midst of an extensive rebuild both on and off the field. The Marlins made a wide range of firings after the season, letting go of not just Skip Schumaker‘s coaching staff but also the team’s conditioning and training crew and the clubhouse attendant staff. Presumably the new manager would have a lot of leeway in hand-picking people to fill these roles, with Bendix and Kapler obviously also having plenty of input.
Speaking of Kapler, Azout also notes that the Marlins have some interest in speaking with Giants assistant coach Alyssa Nakken about the managerial role. Nakken has been working with San Francisco for over a decade, and her five-year stint on the coaching staff began after Kapler was hired as the Giants’ manager prior to the 2020 season. Her role on the staff bears some similarity to Lombard’s skillset, as Nakken’s duties also included outfield instruction and baserunning.
Nakken became the first woman known to ever receive a proper interview for a Major League managerial position when she spoke to the Giants about their vacancy last October. Obviously history would be made if the Marlins or any other team hired her to run their dugout, though Miami is particularly noteworthy since the organization was also the first to hire a woman (Kim Ng) as general manager. The 34-year-old Nakken would also become the youngest current big league manager.
Apart from Lombard and Nakken, Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz and former Marlins bench coach Luis Urueta have also been mentioned as candidates under consideration as Miami’s next manager. Former Marlins pitcher Anibal Sanchez has also reached out to the club about the position, but it isn’t known if the Marlins reciprocated that interest.
Eight Players Elect Free Agency
As the offseason nears, a number of players elect minor league free agency each week. These players are separate from six-year MLB free agents, who’ll reach the open market five days after the conclusion of the World Series. Eligible minor leaguers can begin electing free agency as soon as the regular season wraps up. These players were all outrighted off a team’s 40-man roster during the year and have the requisite service time and/or multiple career outrights necessary to reach free agency since they weren’t added back to teams’ rosters.
Electing free agency is the anticipated outcome for these players. There’ll surely be more to test the market in the coming weeks. We’ll offer periodic updates at MLBTR. These transactions are all reflected on the MiLB.com or MLB.com logs.
Catchers
- Aramis Garcia (Phillies)
Infielders
- Abraham Toro (A’s)
Pitchers
- Brandon Bielak (A’s)
- Caleb Boushley (Twins)
- Jake Brentz (Royals)
- Humberto Castellanos (Diamondbacks)
- Domingo Germán (Pirates)
- Jeff Lindgren (Marlins)
NL East Notes: Marlins, Urueta, Albernaz, Painter, Yepez
The Marlins are reportedly considering former bench coach Luis Urueta and Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz for their managerial vacancy, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman. Urueta is perhaps something of an unusual candidate since the Marlins already fired him as part of their wide-ranging purge of the coaching staff, training staff, and clubhouse attendants, though reports indicated that Urueta and Jon Jay were the only two coaches Miami had interest in bringing back. It isn’t known if the Marlins have conducted formal interviews with Urueta, Albernaz, or any other candidates, though in Albernaz’s case, his availability is limited until the Guardians’ playoff run is over.
Urueta served as the Marlins’ interim manager for the final two games of the season after a family health matter forced Skip Schumaker to miss what was the last weekend of his two-season tenure in Miami. Urueta was also the bench coach for those two seasons under Schumaker, and his previously MLB coaching job was a five-year stint on the Diamondbacks’ staff from 2018-22 (acting as bench coach for the last three of those seasons).
Albernaz is still in the midst of his first season as Cleveland’s bench coach, after previously working as a bullpen and catching coach for the Giants from 2019-22, and before that working in a variety of roles in the Rays’ farm system after his playing career ended in 2014. As Heyman notes, this resume makes him a known quantity to Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix (previously Tampa Bay’s general manager) and to assistant GM Gabe Kapler, formerly the Giants’ manager when Albernaz was on the staff. Albernaz was interviewed by the Guards last offseason about their own managerial vacancy before Stephen Vogt was hired, and thought enough of Albernaz to still bring him aboard onto Vogt’s staff.
More from around the NL East…
- Andrew Painter’s first outing in the Arizona Fall League saw the Phillies prospect allow two runs over 29 pitches and two innings of work, with Jack Vita of the Philadelphia Inquirer noting that three of Painter’s fastballs hit the 100mph threshold. It was the first game action of any kind for Painter since Spring Training 2023, when he suffered a UCL sprain that eventually led to Tommy John surgery that July. “The arm’s healthy and that was the biggest takeaway,” Painter told Vita and other reporters. “Everything felt like it was coming out good. I felt like my old self, so that’s all I can really take away from that.” While the surgery halted the progress of one of the sport’s top pitching prospects, Painter should be in line to make his MLB debut at some point in 2025, though obviously the Phillies will be cautious with his development. Painter is slated to throw 20 innings in AFL play and will start next season in the minors — the right-hander has yet to reach the Triple-A level and has only 28 1/3 frames of experience in Double-A ball.
- Juan Yepez, Joey Meneses, and Andres Chaparro are all right-handed hitting first basemen who are possibly best suited to DH duty, and these similarities make it unlikely that all three are on the Nationals‘ roster next season. Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com thinks Yepez probably has the best chance of the trio, as Yepez hit a solid .283/.335/.429 over 249 plate appearances for Washington in 2024 and had particularly good splits against left-handed pitching. That might be enough to make the difference in deciding possible platoon or part-time roles for next year’s club.
Braxton Garrett Diagnosed With Elbow Impingement
Marlins left-hander Braxton Garrett has been diagnosed with an impingement in his throwing elbow, tweets Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. The southpaw is going through a throwing program at the team’s Florida complex.
The diagnosis is a relief after Garrett ended the season on an uncertain note. Miami shut him down in late September when he experienced elbow soreness during a bullpen session. That raised the possibility of another significant injury for a Marlins starter. Fortunately, testing apparently didn’t reveal any ligament damage and Garrett is already throwing.
That offers hope for a mostly healthy offseason. Like most Miami pitchers, Garrett had his 2024 season wrecked by injury. The former 7th overall pick began the year on the shelf with an impingement in his shoulder. He missed about six weeks and returned in early May. Garrett took the ball seven times before a flexor strain put him back on the injured list in the middle of June. Garrett remained on the 60-day IL from there on out, as the late-season elbow soreness prevented him from returning.
Prior to this generally lost season, Garrett was a mid-rotation starter. He posted consecutive sub-4.00 ERA showings in 2022-23. That included 159 2/3 innings of 3.66 ERA ball during Miami’s surprising playoff season last year. Garrett punched out 23.7% of opposing hitters while walking fewer than 5% of batters faced.
Miami was without Sandy Alcantara for the entire season. They lost Eury Pérez to Tommy John surgery in April. Jesús Luzardo, Ryan Weathers and Garrett all had extended absences during the year. While Pérez will be out until the middle of the season, the Fish could welcome the other four pitchers back by Opening Day. A rotation with Alcantara, Luzardo, Garrett, Weathers and one of Edward Cabrera, Valente Bellozo or Max Meyer has a chance to be a strong group.
The outlook for the rest of the roster isn’t nearly as promising. The Fish have very few established players in their lineup or the bullpen. Even if the rotation stays healthier in 2025, they’re highly unlikely to be playoff contenders. Miami is overhauling the coaching staff after committing to a rebuild of the roster last winter.
Miami could trade from the rotation either this offseason or at next summer’s deadline. They’ll probably hold Garrett into next season to allow him to demonstrate his health. Garrett is eligible for the arbitration for the first of four times as a Super Two qualifier. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $1.8MM salary.
10 Players Elect Free Agency
As the offseason nears, a number of players elect minor league free agency each week. These players are separate from six-year MLB free agents, who’ll reach the open market five days after the conclusion of the World Series. Eligible minor leaguers can begin electing free agency as soon as the regular season wraps up. These players were all outrighted off a team’s 40-man roster during the year and have the requisite service time and/or multiple career outrights necessary to reach free agency since they weren’t added back to teams’ rosters.
Electing free agency is the anticipated outcome for these players. There’ll surely be more to test the market in the coming weeks. We’ll offer periodic updates at MLBTR. These transactions are all reflected on the MiLB.com log.
Outfielders
- Nick Gordon (Marlins)
- Rafael Ortega (White Sox)
Pitchers
- Andrew Bellatti (Phillies)
- Jonathan Bermúdez (Marlins)
- Taylor Clarke (Brewers)
- Dylan Covey (Phillies)
- J.P. Feyereisen (Dodgers)
- Brett Kennedy (Reds)
- Nick Nelson (Phillies)
- Wander Suero (Astros)
Offseason Outlook: Miami Marlins
It's been almost a year since the Marlins hired Peter Bendix as their president of baseball operations. Since then, the club has been defined by a no-holds-barred commitment to the future, with seemingly no regard to PR considerations. They made almost no investments in the club last winter, aggressively traded away established players during the season and recently parted ways with their manager, their entire coaching staff and almost every other employee. Expect more of the same this offseason, with the club's collection of starting pitchers likely to be in plenty of trade rumors.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Sandy Alcántara, RHP: $36MM through 2026 (including $2MM buyout on 2027 club option)
- Woo-Suk Go, RHP (no longer on 40-man roster): $2.75MM through 2025 (including $500K buyout on 2026 mutual option)
Additional Financial Commitments
- Owe $17MM to released OF Avisaíl García
- Owe Yankees $10MM annually between 2026-28 as part of Giancarlo Stanton trade
Option Decisions
- none
Total 2025 commitments: $39.75MM
Total future commitments: $85.75MM
Arbitration-Eligible Players (projections via Matt Swartz)
- Jesús Luzardo (4.165): $6MM
- Anthony Bender (3.153): $1.4MM
- Jesús Sánchez (3.118): $3.2MM
- Braxton Garrett (2.168): $1.8MM
- Nick Fortes (2.149): $1.6MM
- Edward Cabrera (2.147): $2.2MM
Non-tender candidates: Fortes
Free Agents
- None.
The Marlins snuck into the playoffs in 2023 but it quickly became clear that owner Bruce Sherman didn't have faith in the club's overall direction. Shortly after the club was eliminated from the postseason, it was reported that he planned to hire a president of baseball operations to work above general manager Kim Ng. Understandably, she decided to turn down her end of a mutual option for 2024, rather than accept what was essentially a demotion. Manager Skip Schumaker was reportedly annoyed at the pivot, and the club agreed to void a 2025 club option in his contract, making it clear he wouldn't return beyond the 2024 season.
The sudden shakeup was frustrating for fans, but there was some logic to it. That 2023 club actually had a -57 run differential and a 33-14 record in one-run games, a hard feat to repeat. The farm system was generally regarded as one of the worst in the league by any outlet that measures such things.
Despite the playoff berth, change was afoot and that has been the name of the game since then. Rays general manager Peter Bendix was hired as president of baseball operations and showed that he essentially viewed the franchise in the same way as Sherman, with little regard for the club's short-term chances. The largest free agent deal they gave out last winter was $5MM for Tim Anderson.
The prophecy, somewhat self-fulfilled, came true quickly in 2024. The Marlins got out to a horrible start and Bendix didn't hesitate to start the selloff, with Luis Arráez flipped to the Padres in the first week of May. He continued the selloff closer to the deadline by sending out A.J. Puk, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Trevor Rogers, Tanner Scott, Bryan Hoeing, Bryan De La Cruz, Huascar Brazobán, JT Chargois and Josh Bell. That list might have been even longer if it weren't for a large number of injuries to other potential trade candidates.
By the end of the 2024 season, the Marlins had accumulated 62 wins and 100 losses. It's clear that everything is focused on the long-term picture and there are no sacred cows. As mentioned up top, just about any major league player with trade value has seemingly been available. The manager is leaving, as is the entire coaching staff. Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the club is parting ways with more than 70 employees, including "the team’s dietitian, home clubhouse manager and traveling secretary, and others." Though it has been painful and has been ruthless, it is commendable in a shocking sort of way that the club has committed to a long-term plan and is clearly dedicated to seeing it through.
Going forward, it seems fair to expect more of the same, at least until the club believes they have a core in place that is worth building around. Assuming that's the case, the Marlins will continue to trade big league pieces this winter, in the name of rebuilding for some future competitive window.
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