Former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker is joining the Rangers as a senior advisor
The Texas Rangers are hiring former Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker as a senior advisor, per Evan Grant, who also reports that the Rangers are expected to hire Schumaker’s Marlins bench coach, Luis Urueta, as the team’s bench coach.
Schumaker had a decade-long career as a player, primarily with the St. Louis Cardinals, before joining the San Diego Padres as their first base coach prior to the 2018 season. After four years on the Padres’ coaching staff, he spent the 2022 season as the Cardinals’ bench coach. Considered one of the hot up-and-coming managerial candidates, he was hired by the Marlins after the 2022 season to be their manager. He was the National League Manager of the Year in 2023, but after the 2023 season, Marlins general manager Kim Ng left the organization, and speculation ensued as to how long Schumaker would stay with Miami.
Not long, it turns out…Schumaker left the team with two games remaining in the 2024 season due to a family emergency, but informed the Marlins players at that time that he would not be returning as manager. Grant indicates that Schumaker will be part of Chris Young’s inner circle with the Rangers, as well as being the leading internal candidate to take over for Bruce Bochy whenever Bochy decides to retire.
The previous leading internal candidate for that job, associate manager Will Venable, is now the manager for the Chicago White Sox. Urueta is essentially replacing Venable, though with the title of bench coach rather than associate manager. Donnie Ecker, last year’s bench coach, will be focusing on the team’s offense for 2025.