With the recent news of the Miami Marlins voiding manager Skip Schumaker‘s contract, it is said that he is exploring other options for next season. The Marlins are having an abysmal start to their season with a 1-10 record. Despite this start, in his first year with Miami Schumaker led them to their first playoff appearance since 2003. Schumaker was hired by the club in October 2022 to serve under then-general manager Kim Ng. He agreed to a two-year deal with a club option for 2025, but Miami agreed to void the option.
The reigning National League Manager of the Year is a former big league outfielder and second baseman who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds from 2005-2015.
The person who has gotten the loudest ovation here during pregame at Busch Stadium has been …. opposing manager Skip Schumaker.
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) April 4, 2024
Where Could Skip Schumaker Land After the Season?
St. Louis Cardinals
A clear favorite for a possible landing spot for Schumaker is his former stomping grounds. He spent seven seasons with the Cardinals as a second base and outfielder. In addition, before joining the Fish, in 2022 he was the bench coach for Cardinal’s manager Oliver Marmol. If he were to join the Cardinals after 2024 it would probably be as a bench coach instead of a manager. The Cardinals recently just extended Marmol through the 2026 season so it would be fitting if Schumaker returned to his past position. If the Cardinals have an underperforming season, it could be likely that they just decide to replace Mármol with Schumaker.
New York Yankees
Following the 2023 season, the Yankees failed to make a playoff appearance which raised a lot of questions about whether their manager Aaron Boone would be released. Boone is in the final year of his contract and has a team option for 2025. As of late, there have been no talks of an extension. He has been with the Yankees since 2018 and has led them to five playoff appearances in six years. Currently, the Yankees are off to a red-hot start so time will tell whether the streak continues or if they miss the playoffs again, Boone’s position will be up in the air if the Yankees fail to perform this season. Schumaker could be a great possible replacement for Boone.
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox’s manager, Alex Cora is set to become a free agent after this season. There has been no news on whether he will be signing an extension with Boston. Cora has been with Boston since 2018. He has led them to two playoff appearances and won the 2018 World Series. With this opening position, Schumaker seems like the right fit. Similar to Cora, Schumaker is a former big leaguer and has been coaching since 2018 so has a lot of experience with the game. He was able to transform a young and inexperienced Marlins team into a playoff team. Boston has not been to the playoffs since 2021 so possibly bringing Schumaker on board could bring new life to the club and push them to make a comeback to the playoffs.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS swept the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers last year. This disappointing end to their season raised questions about whether they would make changes to their leadership. The Dodgers made huge free agent moves this offseason. Signing Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow. Manager Dave Roberts signed an extension that goes through the 2025 season but if the Dodger fails to make it far into the playoffs Roberts position could be in jeopardy. Schumaker could land a spot as the Dodgers manager. He would be taking over a phenomenal team where we could see his managerial skills shine.
Main Photo: © Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports
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