Marlins Skip Schumaker a finalist for NL Manager of the Year. Here’s his case to win
Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker on Monday was announced as one of three finalists for the National League Manager of the Year.
Brian Snitker and Craig Counsell are the other finalists for the award. The winner, as voted on by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America at the end of the regular season, will be announced Nov. 14 on MLB Network.
In his first season as an MLB manager, Schumaker guided a Marlins team projected by most to finish fourth in the National League East to an 84-78 record — a 15-win improvement over the 2022 season — and the team’s first playoff berth in a full season since winning the World Series in 2003.
Miami’s playoff run was brief, getting swept in the best-of-three wild card series by a Philadelphia Phillies team that went to the National League Championship Series.
Miami went 33-14 in one-run games and had 41 comeback wins.
The Marlins have had three manager of the year winners in franchise history: Don Mattingly in 2020, Joe Girardi in 2006 and Jack McKeon in 2003.
Silver sluggers
Second baseman Luis Arraez and designated hitter Jorge Soler, the Marlins’ All-Stars from the 2023 season, are finalists for Silver Slugger awards. Winners will be announced Thursday.
Arraez, acquired by Miami last offseason in a trade with the Minnesota Twins, won a batting title for the second consecutive season with a .354 batting average along with 10 home runs, 30 doubles, 69 RBI and 71 runs scored. The Atlanta Braves’ Ozzie Albies and Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte are the other finalists among NL second basemen.
Soler hit a team-best 36 home runs while posting an .853 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. Soler, who declined his $13 million player option for the 2024 season and is now a free agent, also hit 24 doubles, drove in 75 and scored 77 runs.
Marlins pick up Jon Berti’s club option
The Marlins on Monday announced they have exercised the club option for utility player Jon Berti.
This comes one day after the team declined options for right-handed pitchers Matt Barnes and Johnny Cueto, both of whom are now free agents.
Berti, 33, is the longest-tenured position player on Miami’s big-league roster having been with the team since the 2019 season and will make $3.625 million in 2024. The utility player is a career .258 hitter with 92 stolen bases, 210 runs scored, 120 RBI, 63 doubles, nine triples and 23 home runs in 436 games — all but four of which have been with Miami.
In 2023, Berti began the season platooning at shortstop with Joey Wendle and had a career-high 52 starts at the position. He also made 27 starts at third base, 11 in left field and 10 at second base. Offensively, he hit a career-best .294 and set single-season career highs in home runs (seven), RBI (33) and runs scored (53) in 133 games (100 starts).
Beyond the team option, Berti will still have one more year of arbitration eligibility that keeps him under team control through the 2025 season.
▪ The Marlins on Monday also announced they have outrighted right-handed pitcher Tommy Nance to Triple A Jacksonville. The club’s 40-man roster has 36 players.
