After three years as Marlins general manager, Kim Ng won’t return in 2024. Here’s why

Kim Ng, the first female general manager in MLB history, is not returning to the Miami Marlins after three seasons with the organization, Marlins chairman and principal owner Bruce Sherman announced Monday.

In a statement, Sherman said the Marlins exercised their side of a mutual option on Ng’s contract for the 2024 season but Ng declined her side of the option.

“We thank Kim for her contributions during her time with our organization and wish her and her family well,” Sherman said. “We will immediately begin a thorough and extensive search for new leadership as we plan to continue to invest in the Marlins organization both on and off the field. We are committed to our fans and the South Florida community and look to build off the momentum of the great progress of this year.”

Ng did not return a request for comment from the Miami Herald on Monday, but Ng told The Athletic that she and Sherman talked last week to discuss his plan to “reshape the Baseball Operations department” and “it became apparent that we were not completely aligned on what that should look like.”

“I wish to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Marlins family and its fans for my time in South Florida,” Ng said, according to The Athletic. “This year was a great step forward for the organization, and I will miss working with Skip and his coaches as well as all of the dedicated staff in baseball operations and throughout the front office. They are a very talented group and I wish them great success in the future.”

The decision comes after the Marlins made the playoffs last season for the first time in a full campaign (excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 season) since winning the World Series in 2003. Miami was swept in the best-of-3 wild card round by the Philadelphia Phillies.

The team Kim Ng built: How MLB’s first female general manager assembled Marlins’ playoff team

The Marlins overall went 220-266 in her three seasons at the helm, but were 84-78 this season after two sub-70-win seasons to begin her tenure.

Ng, who was hired in November 2020 and became the first woman to serve as a general manager for any major professional men’s team in North American sports, played a significant part in getting the roster to the point where it could be competitive this season. Among the highlight moves during her three years:

▪ Trading Starling Marte’s expiring contract to the Oakland Athletics for left-handed pitcher Jesus Luzardo.

▪ Trading Yimi Garcia’s expiring contract to the Houston Astros for outfielder Bryan De La Cruz.

▪ Signing outfielder/designated hitter Jorge Soler ahead of the 2022 season.

▪ Signing Sandy Alcantara to a five-year, $56 million contract extension before he hit arbitration.

▪ Trading a pair of low-tier prospects to the Baltimore Orioles for left-handed pitcher Tanner Scott.

▪ Trading right-handed pitcher Pablo Lopez and two prospects for second baseman Luis Arraez.

▪ Acquiring first baseman Josh Bell and third baseman Jake Burger at the 2023 trade deadline.

▪ Trading JJ Bleday to the Athletics for five years of control of left-handed relief pitcher A.J. Puk.

‘Don’t take a backseat to anybody’: Marlins GM Kim Ng’s drive to succeed comes from mom

Ng also beefed up the team’s baseball operations department with the hiring of a third assistant general manager Oz Ocampo who worked alongside Brian Chattin and Dan Greenlee with the same title. All three are internal candidates to replace Ng.

After the Marlins clinched their spot in the playoffs, as the team celebrated inside the visitor’s clubhouse at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park, Sherman called the job Ng did to get the Marlins to this point “fabulous.”

“Not easy being in her role at all,” Sherman said. “Can you imagine that? First female GM in all of baseball history. Unbelievable. And all the moves, all the trade moves, have been excellent.”

She also had the support of the clubhouse and the coaching staff.

“That’s Mama Kim right there,” said center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr., one of the few mainstays on the Marlins’ roster who was with the club before Ng’s arrival. “She’s been doing the right things, making the right moves every year. This year just shows what she can do.”

Added manager Skip Schumaker, whom Ng hired for the job: “I told her when we hugged on the field [after securing a playoff spot], ‘Thank you for trusting me.’ She could have picked anybody, and she decided to pick me. And I promise you, not everybody in the room wanted me. I know. I’m not dumb. That’s just what it is. I’m sure there were a lot of people that were pushing for somebody else, and that’s OK ... She has trusted me along the way. I trust her with every decision she’s made as far as getting or acquiring players, and her staff has been amazing to help us through this.”

Coincidentally, this is the second consecutive time a Marlins head of baseball operations did not return following a playoff run. Michael Hill, who was the Marlins’ president of baseball operations before Ng was hired as general manager, also did not have his contract renewed following the pandemic-shortened 2020 season when Miami reached the National League Division Series.