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, reviews 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 Publish reported earlier this month that the Marlins have been enthusiastic about his providers, however Jackson’s report is the primary to verify his interview. What’s extra, Jackson notes that Albernaz is now “seen as one of many high candidates” for the place, maybe resulting from 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 subject coordinator and extra not too long ago as the most important league first base coach. McCullough has additionally been a candidate for a number of different managerial openings in recent times, having been linked 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 in the end went to Skip Schumaker. It’s price mentioning that McCullough can also be regarded as 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 title 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 subject 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 subject coordinator within the Rays group. His first large league teaching gig got here with the Giants, the place he labored below Marlins assistant GM Gabe Kapler, the Giants’ supervisor on the time. Funnily sufficient, McCullough has additionally labored alongside Kapler, when the 2 have 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 in the end went to Stephen Vogt.
Jackson suggests the Marlins are nonetheless within the early phases of their managerial hiring course of. They’ll communicate with at the least 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 thus far – and who these different candidates could be – 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 latest weeks. Former Marlins pitcher Anibal Sanchez additionally expressed curiosity within the gig, though there isn’t a cause to imagine his curiosity was reciprocated.
