September 1, 201511 yr BY CLARK SPENCER cspencer@miamiherald.com [*] [*] [*]LINKEDINGOOGLE+ PINTEREST REDDIT PRINT ORDER REPRINT OF THIS STORY ATLANTA Dan Jennings will almost certainly not be returning to the Marlins’ dugout as their manager next season, several sources have said. Whether he remains with the team in any capacity is up in the air. The Marlins, under orders from owner Jeffrey Loria, are making sweeping changes to the team’s baseball operations, from player development and scouting, all the way up to the front office. Whether any of those changes involve Jennings, who stepped aside as general manager to assume the manager’s job in May after Mike Redmond was fired, remains to be seen. Sources said the relationship between Jennings and Loria has become increasingly strained over the course of the team’s disappointing season. Jennings could return to the front office, but not necessarily as general manager. Jennings has also been mentioned as a possible candidate for the Seattle Mariner’s GM vacancy, though the Mariners have not yet asked permission from the Marlins to speak with him. “Everybody’s on pins and needles,” said one source within the organization. Internal meetings are scheduled in Miami for later in the week, after the Marlins return from their current road trip, at which point further decisions are expected to be made. Already, sources said, some members of the player development and scouting staffs are either being reassigned to new roles or let go. Not only have the Marlins failed on the field, but their minor-league teams have also struggled and their farm system is bereft of top talent. Their four top minor-league teams — from Single A up through Triple A — are either in last place or next-to-last. Only one minor-leaguer, former first-round pick Tyler Kolek, is listed among Baseball America’s Top 50 prospects, and Kolek is struggling at Low-A Greensboro. “It’s pretty bad,” ESPN baseball analyst Keith Law said of the Marlins’ farm system. “The system right now is not going to fill the short-term needs of the major league club.” But the immediate focus is on the Marlins, and turning around a bitter season underscored by losses and injuries. The Marlins, whom many picked before the season to contend for a wild-card playoff spot, are instead trying to avoid 100 losses and a last-place finish. Loria is frustrated, sources said, and prepared to make personnel changes within the organization. He has not been showing up at games and was noticeably absent for the annual, end-of-season team photo in Miami last week. His front-row seat in the photo, between Jennings and team president David Samson, was empty. If Jennings doesn’t move back upstairs to the GM’s chair, one possible candidate to take over in that position is assistant general manager Michael Berger, who has assumed a more prominent role in the day-to-day roster decisions. Berger worked with the Montreal Expos when Loria owned the team. ▪ The Marlins could be returning to Puerto Rico next summer to play two games against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Marlins have not yet released their 2016 schedule, but sources said a plan is in the works to have the Marlins play in Puerto Rico for the first time since 2010 when they faced the New York Mets. The Marlins also played the Expos in Puerto Rico in 2003. Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article33250395.html#storylink=cpy
September 1, 201511 yr Surprised Loria and Jennings relationship has gone sour. Both were tied to the hip. woof. things are gonna get feo
September 1, 201511 yr Surprised Loria and Jennings relationship has gone sour. Both were tied to the hip. woof. things are gonna get feo I'm not. Loria hates managers afterall. Or maybe this was a grand plan by Samson to get Jennings fired all along.
September 1, 201511 yr I kinda like how he wants sweeping changes but the one candidate for GM mentioned Is from within.
September 1, 201511 yr I kinda like how he wants sweeping changes but the one candidate for GM mentioned Is from within. mckeon
September 1, 201511 yr I kinda like how he wants sweeping changes but the one candidate for GM mentioned Is from within. Just Clark's opinion
September 1, 201511 yr Translation: Marlins to hire New cleaning crew for the ballpark Looks like you have a job to apply for
September 2, 201511 yr Oh, Marlins in the market for a GM? I know a guy. [ATTACH]473._xfImport[/ATTACH]
September 2, 201511 yr Frisaro just reported Don Smiley is stepping down as President. Potential winner of Post of the Year
September 2, 201511 yr True story: when Huizenga was selling the team and Smiley was heading up one of the potential buyer groups, one of my friends warned me that Smiley was an asshole (his father worked with Smiley at some point) and if he got the Marlins, he would definitely move them. I breathed a sigh of relief when Henry ended up with the winning bid.
September 2, 201511 yr If Loria has the gonads to hire Kim Ng, I'll publicly applaud him and refrain from calling him a piece of shit, worst owner in all sports et for at least one year*. *Unless he does a Loria and fires her 6 months later
September 2, 201511 yr @Ken_Rosenthal 8m8 minutes ago Sources: #Marlins will ask Jennings to step down as manager and resume role as GM. If Jennings agrees, change would occur at end of season. So much for that friction.
September 2, 201511 yr If Loria has the gonads to hire Kim Ng, I'll publicly applaud him and refrain from calling him a piece of shit, worst owner in all sports et for at least one year*. *Unless he does a Loria and fires her 6 months later The thing is... thats the kinda move Loria WOULD do. Dude loves attention and press.
September 2, 201511 yr The thing is... thats the kinda move Loria WOULD do. Dude loves attention and press. And it'd be a great move
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