Marlins announce GM Jennings as new manager

Published May. 18, 2015 9:38 a.m. ET

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MIAMI -- The Miami Marlins announced general manager Dan Jennings as their new manager on Monday morning.

Miami dismissed manager Mike Redmond and bench coach Rob Leary following Sunday’s series sweep by the Atlanta Braves in a 6-0 loss. Redmond went 155-207 from 2013-15 and is under contract through 2017.

Jennings, who is in his 13th season with the organization, has served in various positions during that time. He joined the Marlins in 2002 as vice president of player development and was promoted to his GM and vice president role 11 years later. 

Along with president of baseball operations Michael Hill, Jennings focused on "roster management, arbitration, payroll and contract research and negotiation, and waiver and rule compliance," per the Marlins 2015 media guide.  

"There's really an element to surprise to everybody here regarding this press conference and this move," Jennings said. "I'm extremely honored that (owner) Jeffrey Loria, David Samson and Michael Hill have shown this type of trust and faith in me to put me in this position. It's an honor, and certainly a privilege to be able to lead this team that I had a hand in putting together.

"I'm looking forward today to addressing this group of men, this staff and moving down the road toward the ultimate goal that is to play in October."

A self-proclaimed "baseball man," Jennings, 54, said he has relationships around the league with various managers and respects the position. He understands how tough guys work to get the position. 

Jennings has no major league playing or coaching experience. In fact, he has not coached since the 1980s with Davidson High School in Mobile, Alabama. It followed his stint as an undrafted right-hander signed from a tryout camp by the New York Yankees in 1984. He would attend spring training with Class-A Greensboro. Jennings' collegiate playing days were spent at the University of Southern Mississippi. 

His front office career began in 1986 as an associate scout with the Cincinnati Reds. He became an area scout with the Seattle Mariners two years later before being promoted to Midwest crosschecker in 1995. He was named the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' Scouting Director later that year, a position he held until joining the Marlins in 2002. 

Jennings said he is not "naive enough to think I can go out there and do this on my own." He called the team meeting prior to Monday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks his biggest obstacle because he is of the mindset "give respect to get respect."

They sought different traits: baseball as well as Marlins-specific knowledge, how to motivate players and get the most they can out of their skills and abilities.

"As we continued to talk, it hit us very, very naturally that it actually was Dan," Samson.

After being flattered and doing "soul searching," Jennings had to consider it -- but only if  Mike Goff, currently an advanced scout with the Marlins, would be his bench coach.  Goff served as a first-base coach as well as bench coach during his 2005-07 stint with the Seattle Mariners. He also managed in the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants organizations. Goff, a 21st-round pick of the Boston Red Sox in 1984, played four seasons in the farm system. 

Jennings will not serve in the GM role, but will be more involved in evaluating talent than previous managers. Miami will not name a new general manager, but instead will have existing front office members help out with its duties, according to Samson. Should the Jennings experiment not work as manager, he could return as GM.

"Dan's our manager for the remainder of the season," Hill said. "As we do with everything, we reevaluate at the end of the season, but our expectation is this will go on as long as it's going to go."

You can follow Christina De Nicola on Twitter @CDeNicola13 or email her at cdenicola13@gmail.com.

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