Miami Marlins General Manager Kim Ng — MLB’s first female head of baseball operations — will not return to the team, in a stunning departure after the club won more games this season than it had in more than a decade, officials said Monday.
The team had exercised a mutual option to bring Ng back for 2024 but she declined her end of the deal, Marlins chairman and principal owner Bruce Sherman announced.
“We thank Kim for her contributions during her time with our organization and wish her and her family well.” Sherman said in a statement.
The Marlins went 84-78 this past season, grabbing the National League’s second wildcard spot before they were eliminated by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Not including the Covid-shortened 2020 campaign, it was Miami’s first winning season since 2009 when the Marlins went 87-75.
In comments to the Athletic and MLB.com, Ng acknowledged that she had a fundamental disagreement with management’s plans.
“Last week, Bruce and I discussed his plan to reshape the Baseball Operations department. In our discussions, it became apparent that we were not completely aligned on what that should look like,” Ng said.
“I felt it best to step away. I wish to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Marlins family and its fans for my time in South Florida. This year was a great step forward for the organization.”
Her departure has similar tones to the exit of former CEO Derek Jeter, who hired Ng three years ago.
“Through hard work, trust and accountability, we transformed every aspect of the franchise, reshaping the workforce and developing a long-term strategic plan for success,” Jeter said on Feb. 28, 2022 in a statement he released through PR Newswire and not the Marlins. “That said, the vision for the future of the franchise is different than the one I signed up to lead.”
Before Monday, the 54-year-old Ng was also MLB’s highest-ranking woman in baseball operations and the first woman in any of North America’s major pro sports…
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