The Incredibly Dumb Marlins Organization Wanted To Demote GM Kim Ng Despite a Playoff Berth in 2023, So Instead She Packed Up Her Bags And Became a Free Agent
The Miami Marlins organization loves to shoot themselves in the foot. Any glimpse of success or hope is quickly met with a pivot to stop advancing further. Following their 1997 and 2003 titles, the front office was forced to trade away players like Moises Alou, Robb Nen, Devon White, Jeff Conine, Kevin Brown, Derek Lee. Since then they've seen impact players come and go like Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, Luis Castillo, Nathan Eovaldi to name a few.
Sustainability is not a word in this franchise's vocabulary. That continued to ring true today as GM Kim Ng parted ways with the team.
While the Marlins did want to exercise their end of the mutual option, Kim Ng did not share the same interest. She gave a few quotes here.
So what exactly does she mean when saying they were not aligned with the reshaping of the front office? Immediately you think about money, right? The reason Jeter turned away from the franchise was because of a lack of interest in paying any upcoming free agents. Being cheap is Miami's middle name. Well, turns out in this case it's actually because they planned on demoting her and taking away her power.
What a miss. Kim Ng took over after the covid 2020 season and in just three seasons helped the Marlins win over 80 games for the first time since 2009. Miami found themselves in the postseason in a full season for the first since 2003, and while they did get swept at the hands of the Phillies, there was that dangerous word called "hope" surrounding the franchise. Certainly can't have any of that, so it was time to essentially demote the brains of the turnaround and cut her off. Well done.
Not sure there's one person in baseball who wouldn't do the same Ng here. Just a big ol' slap in the face. You hire her to become the first female GM ever in the history of the four major American sports. Then you witness her turn a miserable franchise into a team that isn't a push over anymore. They make the playoffs, but instead of promoting her to president of baseball ops, which we see frequently now, you make plans to bring in someone to oversee her. Keep in mind this is someone who very well could win executive of the year. Way to go Bruce Sherman.
So now what happens to Kim Ng? You'd imagine, given her recent success, that she'll find a new home sooner rather than later. If she wasn't respected by everyone before becoming the GM then she sure as hell is now. The Mets and Red Sox vacancies immediately come to mind.
The problem with New York is that she'd be entering a situation that she just left behind in Miami. With Stearns at the helm overseeing baseball ops I don't see her taking a job where she's not calling the shots and instead working under someone.
Boston unfortunately seems like the perfect home for her. They've had a lot of trouble getting interviews with people from outside the organization as it's not exactly being viewed as a great job. I'd imagine John Henry's marching orders have something to do with that. Alex Cora having a ton of pull and power could also be a deterrent for incoming candidates. If Ng doesn't mind all that then it seems like a match made in heaven, which would upset me greatly. Chaim Bloom was the perfect overly cautious idiot to run that team and get them nowhere. I already miss him. Kim Ng there would make me nervous.
P.S. Really wish Brian Cashman wasn't a thing so I could be looking into potential GM replacements. Imagine Kim Ng taking over and running the show? Instead I've got to watch Jordan Montgomery shove his dick off against Houston last night. Montgomery of course being a pitcher Cashman did not believe could pitch in the postseason so he traded him for a guy on the IL. He just out-pitched Justin Verlander on the road in the ALCS. Just shoot me.