As expected Marlins, Schumaker part ways. Where things stand

As expected, Skip Schumaker won’t return for a third season as manager of the Marlins.

Schumaker informed his players on Friday night, after Miami’s 15-5 win against the Blue Jays, that he would not return as the team’s manager in 2025.

Because of a death in the family, he then left the team. Bench coach Luis Urueta will be the Marlins’ acting manager for the team’s final two games of the season in Toronto.

The decision to part ways is a mutual one. Schumaker initiated the separation last winter when he asked the Marlins to eliminate the 2025 team option on his contract. As a show of good faith, the Marlins agreed to that.

But the Marlins also wanted to go in a new direction as they embark on another rebuild.

Among the reasons for Schumaker’s decision: He would prefer to be closer to his family in California, according to an associate. Managing a more competitive team also would be appealing to anyone; he’s expected to become a top candidate for the Cincinnati Reds’ managerial job. He also is expected to draw interest from the Chicago White Sox, who have the worst team in baseball.

The Marlins’ decision to rebuild also created an opportunity for president/baseball operations Peter Bendix to make his own hire; he inherited Schumaker from Kim Ng’s regime as general manager.

The Marlins will consider several candidates. Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, who worked with Bendix in Tampa, would be among those of potential interest to Miami if he becomes available, but he could end up staying in Minnesota.

Schumaker said earlier this summer: “I’m a free agent [after the season] just like there are player free agents. There are no hard feelings. It never got personal. ... Bruce Sherman has been fantastic to me. Peter has been really great to me.”

Schumaker won National League Manager of the Year and guided the Marlins to the playoffs in 2022, his first season with the team. But the Marlins, with a roster decimated by trades and injuries, are 60-100 in Schumaker’s second and final season with the team. That’s the second worst record in baseball.

In his first season as an MLB manager last year, Schumaker steered a Marlins team projected by most to finish fourth in the National League East to an 84-78 record — a 15-win improvement over the 2022 season — and the team’s first playoff berth in a full season since winning the World Series in 2003.

Miami’s playoff run was brief; the Marlins were swept in the best-of-three wild card series by a Philadelphia Phillies team that went on to the National League Championship Series. Miami went 33-14 in one-run games and had 41 comeback wins.

Schumaker finished ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers’ Craig Counsell and Atlanta Braves’ Brian Snitker, the other finalists for the award. He appeared on 24 of the 30 ballots, which were submitted before the start of the playoffs, receiving eight first-place votes, eight second-place votes and eight third-place votes.

He became only the ninth person in MLB history to win a manager of the year award in his first season in the role and also is the fourth Marlins manager to win the award, joining Don Mattingly (2020), Joe Girardi (2006) and Jack McKeon (2003).

Players have praised Schumaker for how he prepared them for games and for his approachability.

“He’s amazing. Skip’s the best,” former Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez said last year. “He gave me the opportunity to talk with him every day and to my teammates. He deserves it. We went to the playoffs because of him. He’s the man.”

Players also appreciated how he communicated with them.

Marlins third baseman Jake Burger said Schumaker “sat me down in spring training and showed me a highlight reel” of Burger’s strong play for the Marlins last season after his acquisition from the White Sox.

“Skip said, ‘You’re a great player and keep doing that.’” Burger emerged feeling very good about himself.

Schumaker, 44, played 11 seasons, including his first eight with Cincinnati. He last played in the majors for the Cincinnati Reds, in 2015, and served as bench coach for the Padres and Cardinals before replacing Mattingly as the Marlins’ manager.

Whoever is hired to replace Schumaker will become the 19th manager in Marlins history. Two men — Jack McKeon and John Boles — have had two stints in the job.