Would you take the job?
I asked 13 industry insiders how they'd respond if offered the chance to replace Kim Ng
In the days since the announcement that the Marlins and general manager Kim Ng had parted ways, I have texted or emailed 13 colleagues in the industry and asked them to anonymously answer this question:
“If it were offered to you, would you accept the opportunity to lead the Marlins’ baseball operations department? Why or why not?”
I received 12 replies, with the 13th person respectfully (and humorously) declining to participate in the exercise.
Here’s a breakdown of the 13 people I contacted:
12 of the 13 are currently employed by 10 different clubs, at least one in each of the 6 major league divisions.
The 13th is currently working in the game but is not employed by a club, although he or she has been previously.
Each has a resume that suggests he or she would be a legitimate candidate to be considered to run a club’s baseball operations in 2024.
Each who is currently working for a club serves in a role beneath general manager or president of baseball operations, meaning this job would represent a clear promotion.
One of the 13 has previously served as a head of baseball operations for a major league club.
None of the 13 has ever been employed by the Marlins.
None of the 13 told me he or she has had any contact with the Marlins regarding the current opening. I didn’t ask that specific question, and no one volunteered that information.
Below are their replies. Nothing has been added or deleted from their initial response to me; however, I did clean up some grammar for the sake of consistent style. And the modification made to one “colorful” word is mine because this is a family Substack.
“After the way things ended with Kim, I know there are a lot of qualified people who wouldn’t touch that job. I’d be in that camp. Sometimes you go through a process just to get the experience even if it’s not a situation that would interest you for whatever reason. I wouldn’t even do that in this case.”
“My goal is to lead a department, and I think I’m ready. So I’d probably take the job if offered. The best jobs don’t open up often, so a first-timer like me can’t be too picky. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t ask a lot of hard questions. Some would advise against me taking it, but I look at the work Kim Ng did, and even though things didn’t turn out well for her, she shouldn’t have a problem lining up her next job. If anything, she gets credit for having success under less than ideal circumstances. So I think I’d give it a shot.”
“No f****** way.”
“Probably, but anyone who is going to take that job better have a really good understanding of what the owner’s goals and expectations are and what the owner is going to do to make sure you’re able to meet them. Don’t tell me I’m supposed to beat the Phillies and Braves and give me $100 million to work with. Don’t tell me you think that team is capable of competing for a championship in 2024, because it’s not as things stand today. You have to be on the same page as the owner, and you need to know he’s being realistic.”
“I would always be interested to go through the interview process for a baseball leadership position of any organization. A huge part of the interview process is understanding the relationship the ownership group will have with me and the baseball operations department. That goes a long way in determining the resources you have to execute your plan to succeed. In order to completely understand that relationship, it is important to research the dynamics between that ownership and their past leaders to better understand how that leadership role may be impacted. Specifically, in this case with the recent history of baseball leadership, I would certainly have questions in the interview about those relationships in order to best determine if that would be a fit. The hope is learning from what may not have worked out in the past could be used as an opportunity to get better in the future.”
“I’d feel better if the farm system was a little closer to bearing fruit. You’re looking at a total rebuild in scouting and player development from what I’ve seen. It’s one thing to start that process the day a new owner rides into town, but this guy has been there for a while and they have to go back to square one in some areas. There’s some talent on the roster, especially if they can keep their horses healthy. They’re not as far off as some teams, but I’d want to find out how committed ownership really is.”
“Sign me up. No matter what the owner expects, people in the game know it’s a really hard job. If you have even the degree of success Kim did in a few years, you’re a rock star among people who know the deal.”
“Probably not. Jeter’s lack of success says a lot and the fact that him and Kim both apparently had trouble with the owner. That concerns me. Something’s just not right about what happened with Kim.”
“I’m 34. It’s Miami. When do I start?”
“It’s a huge undertaking. I’d have to know the owner and whoever else he’s listening to gets that. You’d have to remake the front office. You’d have to bring a lot of people in. If you’re going to win there in a few years, you’re cleaning house at almost every level in the first year or 2. And it’s going to cost some money to attract the kind of people I would have in mind who could get it done. And all of that is before you even make your first roster move. I’d bring a very detailed plan to my first conversation with Bruce Sherman. If he sees my vision, let’s go. If he’s set on some other vision and isn’t budging, it wouldn’t work for me.”
“How soon do you need an answer? I want to say ‘yes,’ but I’m not quite there yet.”
“I like the manager and a bunch of the arms, so that’s a good start. But this isn’t some turn-key operation. It’s probably one of the 5 or 6 toughest jobs around even though there’s no pressure from fans and the press. There would be a lot of sleepless nights, but I’d give it a go.”
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So, Glenn ... It's apparent that all of these professionals see just how dysfunctional and unserious this ownership is. It's pretty pathetic and probably one of the main reasons why we're not going to be a winner. This owner just doesn't get it.
Kudos for pursuing this interesting line. It's the kind of unique content that I subscribe for. In this insular world, I find some responses disingenuous. Thirty top jobs in the world. My thoughts is perhaps one would actually decline, and that would be based on significant reason to believe another offer is imminent or is promised. Question: if the Marlins won one or two fewer games this past season, is Ng's resume truly worthy of over-the-top praise. One or two games in a most improbable, unicorn-esque year? If the legacy is so stunningly brilliant, how's the team set up for next year given that legacy? Right, we had our answer from one of the respondents. Don't count on improvement, in fact, regression is highly likely. Everyone knows it. Simply put, she was passable or passable plus, and decided to split at her peak value. Can't blame her for being cognizant of all that. We all understand the organizational limitations and the endemic issues with baseball also allow her to be graded on the curve.