Miami Marlins to Appoint Dodgers' Clayton McCullough as New Manager

The Miami Marlins are set to appoint Los Angeles Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough as their next manager, sources confirmed to ESPN's Alden González. McCullough will be the Marlins' 14th full-time manager, taking over from Skip Schumaker, who parted ways with the team following the season's end.

McCullough, 44, has been with the Dodgers organization for the past four seasons under manager Dave Roberts. Before joining the major league coaching staff, he served as the Dodgers' minor-league field coordinator for seven years, accumulating a wealth of player development experience that has proven valuable in the Marlins' hiring decision.

McCullough's experience within the Dodgers' organization also includes working with Gabe Kapler, who was then the team's director of player development and is now the Marlins' assistant general manager. According to Christina De Nicola of MLB.com, McCullough was previously considered for the Marlins' managerial role two years ago, although Schumaker ultimately secured the position at the time.

A North Carolina native, McCullough had a brief playing career spanning four seasons in the minor leagues, retiring at age 25 with just five appearances above Class-A. He began his coaching journey in 2007, managing the Toronto Blue Jays' Gulf Coast League affiliate and subsequently holding multiple roles in the Blue Jays' minor league system before his move to the Dodgers.

In 2023, Schumaker guided the Marlins to the playoffs; however, the team finished the recent season with a challenging 62-100 record, marking their 13th losing season since 2010 and their fourth season with 100 or more losses. McCullough now becomes the first managerial hire by Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix, who joined the organization last November after Kim Ng's departure.

Other finalists for the role included Cleveland Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz and former Texas Rangers associate manager Will Venable, as reported by the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson and Craig Mish. Albernaz ultimately withdrew from consideration, opting to stay with the Guardians, while Venable accepted an offer to manage the Chicago White Sox.