The Miami Marlins are hiring former Los Angeles Dodgers first-base coach Clayton McCullough as their new supervisor, a supply acquainted with the scenario informed ESPN on Sunday.
McCullough, 44, spent the previous 4 seasons on Dave Roberts’ teaching employees in L.A., the final of which resulted in a championship. He succeeds Skip Schumaker, who was not introduced again on the finish of his contract and has since joined the Texas Rangers’ entrance workplace as a senior adviser to president of baseball operations Chris Younger.
A profession minor league catcher, McCullough managed within the Toronto Blue Jays’ minor league system from 2007 to 2013, ending six of these seasons with successful information. He was then employed by the Dodgers as their minor league area coordinator, at which level he labored below present Marlins assistant common supervisor Gabe Kapler.
The Dodgers promoted McCullough to their main league teaching employees in 2021, inserting him as their first-base coach whereas having him work with outfielders and inserting him in control of their baserunning program. In 2024, McCullough performed a giant half in serving to Shohei Ohtani evolve as a base stealer, paving the best way for the primary 50/50 season in baseball historical past.
McCullough was one among three main candidates for the Marlins’ managing job, together with Will Venable and Craig Albernaz. Venable was named supervisor of the Chicago White Sox and Albernaz pulled out of the race, opting to stay the Cleveland Guardians’ bench coach. Detroit Tigers bench coach George Lombard and Luis Urueta, who served as Schumaker’s bench coach and managed the final two video games of the common season, had been additionally amongst these into account.
The Marlins interviewed McCullough over videoconference whereas the Dodgers navigated a World Collection run in October. He met with employees members final week on the group’s spring coaching advanced in Jupiter, Florida, which can also be the place he resides within the offseason, after which once more at loanDepot Park in Miami on Friday.
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McCullough, a finalist for the Kansas Metropolis Royals managing job that went to Matt Quatraro two years in the past, is the primary managerial rent by president of baseball operations Peter Bendix, who took over baseball operations final offseason. McCullough will inherit a franchise as soon as once more in transition.
The Marlins surprisingly made the playoffs in 2023, getting swept within the wild-card spherical, then misplaced 100 video games in 2024, a season that noticed Bendix commerce away established veterans together with Luis Arraez, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Tanner Scott, A.J. Puk and Trevor Rogers.
Bendix’s purpose is to construct an infrastructure that can result in sustained successful regardless of not possessing the income streams of a few of the bigger-market groups within the Nationwide League East, just like what he helped produce with the Tampa Bay Rays. That course of, Bendix has acknowledged, will take time.
McCullough, who has expertise creating younger gamers however has additionally been round a championship tradition, will assist lead it.
