Skip Schumaker Is Waiting For The Cardinals Job To Be Available

After the 2024 season concluded, Skip Schumaker officially departed the Miami Marlins after two seasons as their manager. While Schumaker was viewed as a hot managerial candidate, he ultimately didn’t get any of the two available jobs this offseason. He instead took a job as a senior advisor for the Texas Rangers. This ultimately puts Schumaker in play for the next managerial hiring cycle. Given the Cardinals’ lack of recent success and current manager, Oliver Marmol only having one year left on his contract, it’s fair to wonder if Schumaker is waiting for the Cardinals’ managerial post to open.

A Fun Award Winning First Season

Skip Schumaker recently just concluded his two-season tenure as the manager for the Miami Marlins. While it was a brief stay, his time in Miami should be considered a success. In his first season in Miami, he helped the Marlins make the postseason in a full year for the first time since 2003. He got a lot more out of that team than anyone expected. Many players like Jon Berti, Bryan De La Cruz, Jesus Sanchez, Jorge Soler, Eury Perez, Jake Burger, Jesus Luzardo, and Braxton Garrett all thrived under his tutelage. The even more amazing part was he accomplished all this without reigning Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara. Schumaker would be named NL Manager of the Year for his efforts.

A Frustrating Final Season In Miami

However, in typical Marlins fashion, the franchise found a way to ruin it all. After a disagreement with owner Bruce Sherman, General Manager Kim Ng resigned after three years. Schumaker was reportedly unhappy with Ng leaving and the direction of the team. He then amended his contract taking out a 2025 team option thus making him a lame duck manager this past year. That offseason, the Marlins would also lose Jorge Soler in free agency.

Things didn’t go well for the Marlins at all during the 2024 season. The team would get off to a brutal 7-24 start and never recovered. Miami would also trade away Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres in early May. At the trade deadline, the Marlins would blow up their team yet again. All-Star closer Tanner Scott, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Josh Bell, Bryan De La Cruz, Trevor Rogers, AJ Puk, JT Chargois, Bryan Hoeing, and Huascar Brazoban would all be traded. Miami would finish the year with 100 losses. Schumaker would officially depart the organization with two games left in the season due to a family emergency.

Schumaker Won’t Be Managing Next Season

With Skip Schumaker now a free agent, many considered him to be the hottest managerial candidate available. However, many teams opted to retain their incumbent skippers this offseason. The only two jobs that were available were the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox, who lost 121 games. The Sox have a long rebuild ahead and the job is almost as bad as the Marlins. Ultimately, the Reds lured Terry Francona out of retirement and Chicago hired Will Venable. This meant that the 2023 NL Manager of the Year wouldn’t oversee a dugout in 2025. The 44-year-old would settle for a job as a senior advisor for the Texas Rangers.

Oliver Marmol Is On The Hot Seat In St. Louis

Under current manager Oliver Marmol, the St. Louis Cardinals haven’t had a lot of recent success. While they won the NL Central in his first season, St. Louis was swept in the Wild Card round by the Philadelphia Phillies. Since being swept, the Cardinals have missed the postseason two years in a row. This includes losing 91 and finishing in last place in 2023 for the first time since 1990. Despite a poor season, St. Louis surprisingly gave him a two-year extension. Given Marmol only has a year remaining on his contract after 2025 and the team most likely missing the postseason again; there is a real possibility that that St. Louis will be hiring a new manager. There’s already been a strong outcry from the Cardinals fan base to replace Oliver Marmol with Skip Schumaker.

Schumaker Has A Long History With The Cardinals

Skip Schumaker has a long history with the St. Louis Cardinals. He played for them from 2005-2012 and during his tenure, he helped the team win two championships. St. Louis would win three division titles and appear in the postseason five times overall with him on the roster. Schumaker would later to St. Louis return in 2022 and spend one season as a bench coach under current manager Oliver Marmol. During his one season in the Cardinals dugout, St. Louis would win 90 games and go to the postseason.

Skip Schumaker Wants To Manage The Cardinals

None of the jobs in this managerial hiring cycle were that attractive. Cincinnati has pitching problems, and the White Sox are just coming off losing 121 games and have a long rebuild ahead. It’s just as well that Skip Schumaker took a year off from managing. However, incumbent Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol’s tenure is coming to an end soon. After 2025, he’ll only have one year left on his contract, St. Louis will most likely miss the postseason for the third consecutive year, and the fan demands to hire Skip Schumaker are only getting louder. Managing the St. Louis Cardinals is Skip Schumaker’s dream job and by being an advisor for the Rangers; he’s just waiting for the job to open.

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