Surprised? You shouldn't be
Reason #892 why the Marlins will always be the Marlins
The most surprising thing about the news that Kim Ng will not be returning as Marlins general manager in 2024 is the number of people who seem to be surprised by the outcome.
If you’re a student of Bruce Sherman-era Marlins history, you should have seen this coming.
It’s no coincidence I led off my VFTB series of 10 Burning Questions facing the Marlins this winter by asking whether or not Ng would return.
And it’s no coincidence I mentioned Ng meriting a “fair-market” extension multiple times in the piece.
Ng reportedly had a 2024 option in the original 3-year deal she agreed to with Derek Jeter to become a first-time GM after the 2020 season. The Marlins, for obvious reasons, were eager to pick up their end of the option this offseason.
But you don’t have to have been in the room to have a good idea as to how this probably played out.
Ng likely thanked Sherman for the opportunity he gave her in November of 2020 and told the owner she looks forward to the opportunity to continue the transformational work she’s begun in Miami. But after the progress she’s overseen in 3 years—particularly in the last 2 years since she’s had full autonomy following Jeter’s departure from the organization—it was time, she would then have likely suggested, to talk about a multi-year, fair-market extension.
If the Marlins valued her, why wouldn’t they be willing to give her the contract she has earned?
Since the day Bruce Sherman bought the club, the Marlins have “parted ways” one way or another with countless very good people who were very good at their jobs because they wouldn’t work for below-market value or refused to take a massive pay cut to continue to perform at a high level.
As I’ve pointed out previously, manager Don Mattingly was forced to agree to a cut in salary to return after the 2019 season. President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill was let go after the 2020 season when he refused to have his pay slashed.
Countless senior-level front office executives and broadcasters, present company included, had their salaries frozen, cut dramatically or were not retained at all under this ownership. And in every single instance, these people were replaced by someone making significantly less money, with significantly less experience, who was not in most cases nearly as good at the job.
While the end of Hill’s tenure in Miami was a disgrace, Sherman deserves credit for rebounding with the hiring of Ng. But 3 years and a lot of organizational progress later, she and the Marlins have parted ways because she likely had the gall to ask for the contract extension she merits based upon her performance.
Remember, Ng was hired by Jeter—someone she knew, trusted and respected. After having built a magnificent resume and also a sterling reputation in the Game over decades—and having previously interviewed for several GM positions—she would finally be given her chance.
As the Marlins were never shy about touting, Ng’s hiring as the first female general manager in any of the major American professional sports leagues was a significant milestone. You can see where a first-time GM whose hiring could blaze the trail for others may have been willing to accept the position for less money than many other GMs are making, even when many of those GMs came to their positions with less of a track record than Ng. I’m sure she was willing to bet on herself, assuming that good work would be rewarded down the line at which time she could reasonably expect to be compensated in line with most of her peers.
How could anyone possibly begrudge Ng asking for a multi-year, fair-market extension in light of what she had accomplished to date in Miami?
Ng is far from alone in seeing her time with the Marlins end like this. What does it say about an organization that doesn’t value good people who are good at their jobs?
Who will want to work for this organization?
It’s one thing for an owner to come in, as Sherman did after the 2017 season, and hire many of his own people. But what does it say about both the culture and the judgment of those in charge when things end poorly with so many of the people who were hired on Sherman’s watch? I’m not talking about people he inherited. I’m talking about people in prominent senior roles who he brought in.
Think former CEO Derek Jeter. Think former club president Chip Bowers. Think former Vice President of Player Development and Scouting Gary Denbo. Think former Chief Revenue Officer Adam Jones and others on the business side.
Now add Kim Ng to that list.
Ng will have no problem finding a prominent role in the Game moving forward. It wouldn’t surprise me if she had already received at least one phone call from the 617 area code today.
But where do the Marlins go from here?
This is an organization with a tattered history and a payroll near the bottom of the league. They don’t exactly have a farm system that’s bursting at the seams with talent. They’re annually at or near the bottom of MLB in attendance and revenue. And now you’ve seen repeatedly that the Marlins do not value good people who are good at their jobs.
Unless Sherman is shamed into spending the money he wouldn’t commit to Ng, this sounds like a recipe for hiring someone with no previous general manager experience or for promoting from within, where there is not necessarily a GM in waiting.
Whoever is next, today will be remembered as another dark day for the Marlins franchise and for owner Bruce Sherman.
He can smile about saving some more money, but the fact is the Marlins needed Kim Ng a lot more than Kim Ng needed the Marlins.
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You were prescient regarding the contract situation and I don't contest your insights into the situation. We duverge here, though. I think Ng was more than passable given the organizational limitations. If we want to quantity on a scale, something like 7 of 10. Plenty of very bad decisions, no need to reiterate them, and even the Bell trade can be reasonably traced to the terrible Segura deal. My thoughts is that GMs are essentially dart-throwers, hoping that individual players, the team, and luck make him or her look good. As with the Billy Beane "you don't know" zinger to the head scout in "Moneyball," there are too many variables. Would Cashman get the Marlins, Pirates, or Rockies a WS title? No. I like Ng and certainly wanted her return, but she is no savant. Let's be real, the Marlins playoff berth came not only with the thinnest of margins and, but only because of the Mets unlikely debacle. That will not be repeated, which accounted for Ng's top resume point. Credit where it's due, but not without realism. I hope the Marlins bring in a young go-getter, first-time GM, who can work with Schumaker over a nice tenure. Best wishes to Kim Ng. If she lands in Boston, there's plenty of money and no where to go but up.
Totally agree. It remains to be seen what new atrocities the owners are planning because Kim made that decision. Hopefully I'm wrong and it's just a personal decision of the former General Manager