The Miami Marlins are hiring Clayton McCullough, who was the Los Angeles Dodgers’ first-base coach, as their new manager, according to a source familiar with the decision who spoke to The Associated Press.
The source requested to remain anonymous because the hire has not yet been officially announced. ESPN was the first to report the news.
McCullough, 44, joined the Dodgers in 2015 as their minor league field coordinator and had been working as the first-base coach on Dave Roberts’ staff since 2021. The Dodgers won their eighth World Series title last month by defeating the New York Yankees in five games.
A former minor league catcher, McCullough also spent seven seasons managing in the Blue Jays’ minor league system.
He will replace Skip Schumaker, who was named 2023 NL Manager of the Year but left the Marlins in September after two seasons. Under Schumaker, the Marlins had a 146-178 record.
McCullough is from Greenville, North Carolina. He spent one season at Vanderbilt before transferring to East Carolina University. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 22nd round of the 2002 MLB Draft and played in their minor league system from 2002 to 2005.
The Marlins also considered Craig Albernaz, the former bench coach for the Cleveland Guardians, and Will Venable, a former associate manager for the Texas Rangers. Venable was hired as the Chicago White Sox’s manager on October 30, and Albernaz reportedly withdrew from consideration for the Marlins’ job.
