Evaluating 4 Miami Marlins managerial finalists

The Miami Marlins are searching for a new manager and there are now four finalists for the job. Assuming that there are no mystery candidates, the next manager of The Fish will come from this group. Who will it be? Which of these candidates is the favorite? Only team management knows the answer to those questions, but we can make educated guesses and analyze the candidates. Who will be the next manager of the Miami Marlins?

There are four leading candidates for the role of Miami Marlins manager.

Joe Espada is the leading candidate for the position and is also heavily pursued by the Chicago White Sox. The current Houston Astros bench coach just won a pennant, and might add a World Series win as well. He also has experience in the Miami Marlins front office, which gives more support to the belief that he’s the favorite for the position. He was a finalist for the New York Mets position last year.

Skip Schumaker is another finalist for the position of Miami Marlins manager. Schumaker is a respected veteran who rose quickly through the coaching ranks, and is now likely ready to take over as a manager somewhere. He would be an interesting option to take over the Miami Marlins in fact. The fact that Espada seems to be more in-demand is putting him ahead however.

Matt Quattraro is another finalist for the New York Mets managerial opening from last year. He’s currently the bench coach for the Tampa Bay Rays. Quattraro has experience winning a pennant with the team (in 2020) and of perennial playoff appearances. He’s an intriguing choice for the job and it’s possible that he would do a good job as a manager.

The final of the four candidates is former New York Mets manager Luis Rojas. Rojas managed them to a 26-34 win-loss record in 2020, and a 77-85 record in 2021. Neither is impressive. Their Pythagorean record was actually better in 2020 (28-32). Of course both seasons the team wasn’t supposed to be good anyway, so it’s possible that he deserves a pass.

So who will be the next manager of the Miami Marlins? My guess is thst it’s going to be Joe Espada, unless he goes to the Chicago White Sox. If he does, then I think that Skip Schumaker gets the job. If it’s not him either, then it’ll be Quatraro, with Rojas as the least likely option in my opinion.