Should Miami Marlins Move on From Manager Skip Schumaker Now?

As the saying goes, what must be done eventually should be done now. And that holds true regarding the reality that the Miami Marlins may be looking for a new manager this offseason.

Unfortunately, it's time for the Marlins and manager Skip Schumaker to part ways. The sooner, the better.

With the recent elimination of the 2025 team option for Schumaker, a clear signal has been sent: the marriage between the 2023 National League Manager of the Year and the Marlins is on a pitch clock that may run out at the end of this season. He apparently wants to explore options after this season, and the Marlins decided they won't stand in his way.

Schumaker, who brought the Marlins to a wild card berth last season, is respected across baseball. He's a former player and obviously a capable manager. Yet the Marlins' abysmal start to the 2024 season (3-13 record as of Monday) underlines a deeper set of issues beyond bad games — including the question of whether Schumaker is the right manager to lead a rebuild. Because if he isn't, sticking with him for even another month is not the best path forward.

Cut ties and move on, why wait? Ironically the Marlins have experience firing a Manager of the Year. They did just that in 2006 when they fired Joe Girardi, who went on to win the award that year. So hey, there is precedent!

The Miami Herald reported that the Marlins cut the 2025 option in Schumaker's contract "as a show of good faith" after he became upset with the departure of general manager Kim Ng. Still, the Marlins' decision to remove the option speaks volumes about their future intentions. It is evident that by hiring Peter Bendix as the new top baseball executive, Miami is once again pivoting in a new direction.

Bendix, coming in from the Tampa Bay Rays organization, brings his vision and strategy. It's no secret he was hired to make chicken salad out of chicken shit, just as the Rays have done for the past several years, winning baseball games even while having a low payroll.

Schumaker is a competitor. You can see it on his face. He doesn't want to be the pesky underdog scraping for a playoff win on a roster scraped together with loose change. He wants to dominate every night with a formidable team. The Marlins are not that and will likely never fit that bill, at least not in the near future.

With a long-term vision in mind, appointing a manager of Bendix's own choosing — someone who aligns with his philosophy and the new organizational structure — makes the most sense. Schumaker already didn't strike us as a patience man, and the voiding of his contract option coupled with the poor start to the season are even louder alarm bells that he's not the guy for the job.

Waiting until the end of a potentially disastrous season to make managerial changes could hurt the Marlins more than it could benefit them. With the prospect of Schumaker exploring other opportunities owing to his displeasure with the front office changes, Miami can either continue with a wrong-fit manager or cut ties now, allowing Bendix to implement his plans sooner rather than later.

The Marlins have a long season ahead, and the sooner they address their leadership questions, the better. Hire a young promising interim manager to lead what could be a 90-plus loss team, then reassess after the season is over.

Moving on from Schumaker now would not just be a decision to part ways with a manager but a proactive step.

We've seen this movie before. Let's fast forward to the end. Schumaker and the Marlins should both move on.