Marlins split with Kim Ng, MLB's first female general manager

Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Kim Ng, the first woman in MLB history to become a general manager, declined her contract option for 2024 and will not return to the Miami Marlins, the team announced Monday.

"We thank Kim for her contributions during her time with our organization and wish her and her family well," Marlins owner Bruce Sherman said in a news release.

Sherman said the Marlins exercised their option for Ng to return, but she declined her side of the mutual agreement. The Marlins owner said he will start a search immediately to find a new front office chief.

The Marlins hired Ng in 2020. She previously served for nine years of senior vice president of baseball operations for MLB. She also worked for the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ng, 54, told The Athletic that she was "not completely aligned" with Sherman when it came to the Marlins' future plans.

"Last week, Bruce and I discussed his plan to reshape the baseball operations department," Ng told The Athletic. "In our discussions, it became apparent that we were not completely aligned on what that should look like and I felt it best to step away."

The Marlins went 31-29 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. They were 67-95 in 2021, Ng's first full season, and then 69-93 in 2022, missing the playoffs for the second time under Ng.

They went 84-78 en route to a third-place division finish and playoff berth in 2023. Miami lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round of the postseason.

The Marlins franchise underwent major construction since Sherman bought the team in 2017.

Yankees legend Derek Jeter, who was part of the new ownership group, resigned from his role of CEO in 2022. The Marlins also split with manager Don Mattingly after the 2022 campaign. The team hired Skip Shumaker in October.

Ng reconstructed the Marlins' roster last off-season, adding second baseman Luis Arraez through a trade with the Minnesota Twins. Arraez went on to lead MLB with a .354 batting average.

The Marlins also acquired first baseman Yuli Gurriel, designated hitter Jorge Soler and first baseman Josh bell and third baseman Jake Burger, among others, as part of their recent roster facelift.