The Marlins interviewed a number of candidates to be their subsequent supervisor this week, together with Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz and Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough, stories Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Earlier this week, Isaac Azout of Fish On First famous that McCullough could be interviewing for the place. As for Albernaz, Jon Heyman of the New York Submit reported earlier this month that the Marlins had been taken with his companies, however Jackson’s report is the primary to substantiate his interview. What’s extra, Jackson notes that Albernaz is now “considered as one of many prime candidates” for the place, maybe because of his time working alongside Marlins POBO Peter Bendix within the Rays group. Albernaz and McCullough be a part of Tigers bench coach George Lombard because the three candidates identified to have interviewed for the job.
McCullough has by no means been a significant league supervisor, though he has expertise managing within the minor leagues with the Blue Jays group from 2007-14. He has spent the previous ten seasons with the Dodgers, first as a minor league area coordinator and extra not too long ago as the key league first base coach. McCullough has additionally been a candidate for a number of different managerial openings in recent times, having been related at one level or one other to such groups because the Mets, Brewers, Guardians, and Royals. Funnily sufficient, he interviewed to be the Marlins’ supervisor simply two years in the past, a job that finally went to Skip Schumaker. It’s price mentioning that McCullough can also be considered a contender for the White Sox’s present managerial opening. Bruce Levine of 670 The Rating referred to as him “a number one candidate” for the function in September, though his identify was noticeably absent from Heyman’s checklist of “main candidates” printed earlier this week.
Like McCullough, Albernaz is a former catcher who has expertise as a minor league supervisor, minor league area coordinator, and main league coach. From 2006-13, he performed eight seasons within the Rays minor league system, and from 2015-19 he labored as a coach, supervisor, and minor league area coordinator within the Rays group. His first large league teaching gig got here with the Giants, the place he labored underneath Marlins assistant GM Gabe Kapler, the Giants’ supervisor on the time. Funnily sufficient, McCullough has additionally labored alongside Kapler, when the 2 had been employed within the Dodgers group. Albernaz took on his present function because the Guardians’ bench coach final November. Earlier than he was employed as Cleveland’s bench coach, he interviewed for the managerial place that finally went to Stephen Vogt.
Jackson suggests the Marlins are nonetheless within the early levels of their managerial hiring course of. They’ll communicate with not less than six candidates over video chat earlier than inviting the finalists to attend in-person interviews. It’s unclear what number of different candidates have had Zoom interviews up to now – and who these different candidates is perhaps – however former Marlins bench coach Luis Urueta and Giants assistant coach Alyssa Nakken are two extra names who’ve been linked to the place in current weeks. Former Marlins pitcher Anibal Sanchez additionally expressed curiosity within the gig, though there isn’t any motive to imagine his curiosity was reciprocated.
