Skip Schumaker will not return as Miami manager in 2025, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. His tenure with the Fish ends after two seasons.

The Marlins announced during Friday night’s win over the Blue Jays that Schumaker would return home to deal with a family health issue. Bench coach Luis Urueta will be the interim manager for the final two games of the season, Fish’s Isaac Azout tweeted on First. Passan writes that Schumaker informed the Miami players that he would not be back next season after tonight’s game.

That couldn’t have been a big surprise to anyone on the roster. Schumaker appears to have been on his way out of South Florida for months. Former general manager Kim Ng hired Schumaker – who had been the bench coach in St. Louis – to replace Don Mattingly entering the 2023 season. He had initially signed a two-year contract with a club option for 2025. When the Marlins and Ng parted ways last season, Schumaker reportedly expressed frustration with the direction of the organization. The Marlins agreed to void the ’25 option as a result, giving the 44-year-old the chance to pursue other opportunities after this season.

The front office overhaul came within weeks of Miami surprisingly punching their ticket to the postseason. The Fish overcame a negative run differential to win 84 games and clinch a Wild Card spot in 2023. While they were swept in the first round by Philadelphia, the unexpected postseason berth earned Schumaker the NL’s Manager of the Year award in his debut season. It was the team’s first playoff appearance in a 162-game schedule since their 2003 World Series title.

Owner Bruce Sherman was nonetheless dissatisfied with the organization’s recent draft misses and some ill-fated free agent moves (e.g. Avisaíl Garcia, Jean Segura). Sherman named former Rays GM Peter Bendix president of baseball operations — a move that would have relegated Ng to second place in the front office hierarchy. After Sherman informed Ng of his plans to hire a president of baseball operations, she declined a mutual option and moved on.

Bendix never seemed confident the Marlins could replicate last year’s success. The Fish had a quiet winter – their only MLB free agent signing was a $5 million rebound flyer Tim Anderson – and seemed to have a ticket for another renovation. A disastrous 0-9 start sealed their fate within the first two weeks. Miami acted Luis Arraez in early May and followed by a major deadline sell-off involving most of their relievers, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Trevor Rogers, Jos Bell And Bryan de la Cruz. If it hadn’t been for a devastating series of rotational injuries, they probably would have broken things down even further. Jesus Luzardo And Braxton Garrett would have been obvious trade candidates if they were healthy.

Bendix’s skepticism about its short-term prospects is borne out in this year’s results. The Fish lost 100 games for the fourth time in franchise history. They finish with the second or third worst record in the MLB. (They are one game behind the Rockies at the bottom of the National League.) At the same time, it is completely unsurprising that Schumaker preferred not to embark on a multi-year rebuild orchestrated by a new front office just months after taking over the team had led. to the play-offs.

There will be plenty of interest in Schumaker’s services. His overall record of 144-178 wasn’t great, but that’s much more a testament to this year’s roster than an indictment of his leadership abilities. His work in 2023 has received much praise. The White Sox and Reds have managerial vacancies following the firings of Pedro Grifol and David Bell, respectively. Schumaker has been loosely linked to both jobs before his contract with the Marlins expired.

Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote a few weeks ago that he was among the Sox’ top targets. Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported Friday that Schumaker and former Cubs skipper David Ross are among the draft options being considered for the Reds’ front office. It is possible that other courses will open once the regular season ends.

In Miami, Bendix begins his first managerial career leading baseball operations. The front office had likely been preparing for a while, as they were undoubtedly aware of the likelihood that Schumaker would leave. It’s the next opportunity for Bendix and his group to put their stamp on the franchise as they enter another rebuilding year.

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