Marlins Manager Clayton McCullough Sheds Light on What 2026 Could Bring
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The Miami Marlins saw a great improvement in 2025 under first-year manager Clayton McCullough.
Despite finishing under .500 and in fifth place in the National League East, the Marlins had a lot of positives to build off of. In fact, McCullough did such a great job that he received votes for NL manager of the year, but ultimately finished in fifth place in the voting.
Heading into the offseason, there seems to be a lot more excitement surrounding the Marlins. They have a solid young core and are actively working to improve their team, as president of baseball operations Peter Bendix and new general manager Gabe Kapler are ready to spend some money in the free agent market. Nothing has happened yet for Miami, but the Winter Meetings are right around the corner, and the offseason is about to heat up.
With the Winter Meetings approaching, McCullough joined the Marlins Hot Stove show on their YouTube channel to discuss what 2026 could bring and some offseason strategy. McCullough's thoughts and insights should have fans fired up for what's to come.
Clayton McCullough Looks Ahead to 2026
Right off the bat, McCullough was asked about what is required for the Marlins to take the next step towards a better future.
"We're not guaranteed to have a better year just because we did what we did last year," McCullough said.
McCullough mentioned that the team's identity became their sense of urgency, along with their relentlessness to not give up. Those are traits the manager says the team can't stray from next season. McCullough wants to make sure Miami does not get caught worrying about September and October. Instead, the Marlins have to focus on the game at hand and winning the day.
That is easier said than done, though. However, McCullough and his staff met with each player on the 40-man roster when the season ended. They gave each an individual player plan with a few goals for the offseason, which will help them carry over the progress they made this past season into 2026.
Connor Norby Could See Time in the Outfield
The Marlins have their holes to fill. Free agency will be the way to fix what's broken for a few positions. However, Miami has plenty of players who can be moved around. Heading into the offseason, McCullough had discussions with both Connor Norby and Griffin Conine about the possibility of playing elsewhere on the field.
Norby's current primary position is third base. McCullough does not necessarily want him to change that. In fact, the Marlins fully expect Norby to compete for the starting third base job.
"That's where your focus needs to be, Connor. Come in, compete, and win the third base job next year," McCullough said on the Marlins Hot Stove show. "Also, it's nice that you have some history of playing the outfield in the past. And that may be something this spring that we look to maybe dive into a little bit."
McCullough was quick to say Norby is not going to become a primary outfielder, and he might not see time out there. Still, the versatility and his ability to play multiple positions will keep him in the lineup in Miami.
Griffin Conine Could Shift to First Base
Conine will be entering his third season with the Marlins, but he has not seen full-time action at the big league level yet. With his primary position being the outfield, Conine might need to make a change if he wants to earn more playing time.
Luckily for him, Miami needs a first baseman. That is where Conine could get some more reps.
"Talked to Griff about maybe getting some work at first base," McCullough said.
Conine has not played anywhere in the field during his professional career. The 28-year-old has only played the corner outfield, but he has the size to play first base. Now, that does not mean he is making a permanent position change. However, it gives McCullough more opportunity to get Conine's bat in the lineup.
