Cody Snavely
The Los Angeles Dodgers will have to add hiring a new first base coach to their offseason to-do list as Clayton McCullough has reportedly taken the Miami Marlins open manager position, succeeding former Marlins skipper Skip Schumaker.
McCullough, 44, was hired as the Los Angeles Dodgers first base coach before the 2021 season, joining current Dodgers manager Dave Robert’s staff and relacing former first base coach George Lombard Jr., who took an offer in Detroit to join the Tigers coaching staff.
Following a brief minor league playing career, McCullough became a manager in the Toronto Blue Jays’ organization before joining the Dodgers as their minor league field coordinator in 2015. Marlins assistant general manager Gabe Kapler was with LA from 2014 to 2017 as director of player development and overlapped with McCullough in the organization.
McCullough interviewed for the Guardians manager job last offseason—a job that ended up going to Stephen Vogt—but he also participated in managerial searches by the Marlins, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, and New York Mets over the past few offseasons.
McCullough had a very close relationship with Mookie Betts during his tenure. The all-star right fielder had him throw to him in the 2023 Home Run Debry and in various other activities around the baseball diamond.
McCullough ended his Dodgers tenure on a high note, helping two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani reach the fifty stolen base club, working closely with the likely 2024 National League Most Valuable Player to perfect the art of a base stealer.
As is the case with most championship teams, poaching is a part of the cycle of a coaching staff. The Los Angeles Dodgers have had a few coaches leave for greater opportunities elsewhere, trying to replicate that success, such as former Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward, who took the Texas Rangers gig a few seasons ago.
For the Miami Marlins, it will be big shoes to fill for McCullough, who is replacing a fan favorite in Skip Schumaker, who left the team due to the Marlins going into full rebuild mode under new President of Baseball Operations Peter Bendix.
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