Marlins fire manager Mike Redmond

Update II (9:26pm) :

Since the Butler and Jeff Conine rumors went away Jon Heyman has eliminated six names off the list of potential candidates.

elimination game: marlins have not reached out to bo porter, wally backman, dusty baker, eduardo perez #fish

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) May 18, 2015

The other two managers that he identified were Ron Washington and Bobby Valentine. The waiting game continues, and there has yet to be a leak (an impressive feat in this age of social media). While it's purely speculative, As of this writing, Renteria still has not been crossed off by Heyman or anyone else.

Joe Frisaro is reporting that the Marlins future manager will have some former connection to the organization and will shock people.

Update I (6:27pm):

Clark Spencer is reporting that tomorrow's announcement will be for an interim manager.

Third base coach Brett Butler is thought to be favored to become #Marlins interim manager.

— clarkspencer (@clarkspencer) May 17, 2015

This detail seems to back up the theory that Redmond's firing was at least in some ways a reaction to today's loss. It seemed inevitable that he would eventually be fired. Butler, or any interim manager for that matter is slightly disappointing news to hear. For years now the Marlins have been in constant change, and gone through six managers in six years. If Miami does come up with a permanent solution before the end of the season, that will bring their total manager count to eight in six seasons. The Marlins need stability at the helm of their team, and this is not a step in the right direction.

Chris Cotillo lists nine potential replacements for Redmond. An interesting name to consider as a 10th man for that list is Rick Renteria. The circumstances surrounding the former Cubs manager's firing were incredibly awkward, and he quickly disappeared from the baseball scene. Renteria hadn't done anything wrong, but unfortunately was made obsolete once Joe Maddon became a free agent.

Renteria was originally entrusted to lead a team that is now comprised of über prospects and superstars alike. In his only season as Cubs manager, he improved the team's win total from 66 to 73, and was on the precipice of being able to put players like Kris Bryant and Addison Russell in his everyday lineup. The Marlins aren't without hope however, as they dohave the pieces for a potent offense. Jose Fernandez is set to return before the All-Star break, and having a manager for the long-haul cannot be understated. The Marlins must come up with a long-term plan and truly commit to it. Five-year plans cannot succeed if they're abandoned less than two and a half years into them.

Original Story:

After almost being no-hit by Shelby Miller this afternoon, the Marlins decided to make a couple of changes to their staff.

The #Marlins have just announced that Mike Redmond has been fired.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) May 17, 2015

Redmond initially signed a three-year contract in 2013, but after his first season was given an extension through the end of 2017. The Marlins also fired bench coach Rob Leary, leaving the team with two vacancies to fill. Miami isn't out of the playoff race just yet, but after a 16-22 start, they've decided that Redmond isn't capable of leading the team anymore. He's been on the hot-seat for some time now, and the rumors only grew stronger when Giancarlo Stanton told reporters that the team lacked a certain fire.

While he was likely referring to the players, it clearly put Redmond under ever more scrutiny. Despite Stanton's comments, and the team's slow start, Jeffery Loria publicly backed Redmond, telling reporters that "he's the manager. Period." After declaring Redmond safe, Miami proceeded to go 8-11, which Loria or the front office deemed unacceptable.

The Marlins have undoubtedly performed below expectations, but to place the blame squarely on Redmond and Leary is unfair. Michael Morse and Mat Latos have struggled since joining their new team, and key players Christian Yelich and Steve Cishek have greatly underachieved.

Where do the Marlins go now?

Wally Backman has been linked to the team for at least a season now, and while Ken Rosenthal tweeted in late May that he would not be the replacement should the team fire Redmond, there seem to be mixed signals. That same day, an article was published that said Loria was doing his "manager homework" on Backman, and quizzed people in the organization on whether or not he'd be a good fit. While it's purely speculative, Buster Olney had an interesting thought on a potential replacement.

Eduardo Perez would be an interesting name for the Marlins: roots with the org., knows the players, success as a manager in winter ball.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) May 17, 2015

According to Twins beat reporter, Mike Berardino, Ron Gardenhire has not yet been contacted about the position which would seemingly rule him out. Ron Washington is an intriguing possibility, and recently said that he hoped that the game wouldn't forget him, because he still "had a lot to offer".

Redmond's firing seemed incredibly reactionary to this afternoon's game, and while it may have been, the Marlins already have their man. The team announced that they will hold a press conference tomorrow at 11am to introduce their new manager. With a playoff spot still in sight, it's imperative to install the new voice of their team quickly so that his message and approach can be quickly adopted.

Any updates to the story will be published here.

Ken Rosenthal and Jon Heyman noted that with Redmond's firing, the Marlins are paying quite a few people to not lead the team.

As noted by @JonHeymanCBS, #Marlins also are still paying former GM Larry Beinfest, along with Guillen and now Redmond.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 17, 2015