Whenever you have a team as successful as the Los Angeles Dodgers, there are going to be other clubs trying to add pieces of that success to their own clubs. While the initial read on the situation is that the Dodgers are going to keep manager Dave Roberts for the foreseeable future despite some fans having doubt in him before their World Series run, the rest of LA’s coaching staff could be ripe for the picking.
Case in point is first base coach Clayton McCullough. LA’s first base coach since 2021 after a stint as their minor league field coordinator, McCullough has been considered one of the top names in the next wave of managers for a couple of years now.
The Guardians tried to pry him away last offseason before they settled on Stephen Vogt, and McCullough has been connected to the Marlins’ vacancy since basically the minute Skip Schumaker left.
Unlike the last time McCullough interviewed for the Marlins job or when he pursued Cleveland’s top coaching job last winter, he successfully got the promotion he desired this time, as Miami hired McCullough to be their next manager on Sunday.
Dodgers lose first base coach as Clayton McCullough hired as Marlins’ next manager
This is obviously a blow to the Dodgers this offseason, but not an unexpected one. While McCullough is highly regarded by LA, the reality is that managerial opportunities in MLB are scarce and McCullough’s name has come up frequently in those searches. It was only a matter of time before he got a top job somewhere. First base coaches are important, but losing McCullough doesn’t move the needle much, and the Dodgers will remain World Series favorites, as they return a very strong roster.
As for McCullough, he gets a well-deserved promotion, albeit to a team that needs a LOT of work. The Marlins have some interesting young pitching, but they were dreadful overall in 2024 with a 62-100 record and one of the worst offenses in all of baseball. Miami isn’t likely to make many high profile additions this offseason, either, as they are a very payroll-constrained club. However, there is some talent there, and if McCullough can make them look respectable, he could parlay that job into one with an actual baseball team down the line.
With McCullough headed elsewhere, one wonders if other Dodgers coaches could be in consideration for promotions with other clubs as well. There are not a lot of obvious managerial openings left, but it wouldn’t be crazy to see organizations try to bring in other LA coaches to serve as bench coaches (or in other roles) this offseason.
