There's a lineup of teams in the NL East competing for the title of the division punching bag. While the Miami Marlins aren't even first in line after finishing the 2025 campaign in third place, their latest front office move will have Philadelphia Phillies fans watching from a distance with a grin.
On Monday, the Marlins announced that former Phillies manager Gabe Kapler has been promoted to general manager. He had been in the assistant general manager role since January 2024, when he first joined the organization.
Now he's in charge of a team with the lowest payroll in the majors, and Phillies fans are already having a laugh at his and the Marlins' expense.
Former Phillies manager Gabe Kapler takes over as Marlins general manager
Kapler managed the Phillies for two seasons, in 2018 and 2019. He certainly wasn't a fan favorite (subscription required).
If you look at Kapler's tenure as the Phillies bench boss, he finished with a 161-163 record. Ending that close to .500 was a feat in itself considering the rosters he was handed, especially in 2018. It was a tumultuous time at Citizens Bank Park.
It's hard to shake first impressions, unfortunately, and Kapler's first week on the job in 2018 set the tone for his tenure. After starting that season 1-4 with embarrassing misstep after embarrassing misstep in the first five games, he was welcomed with a chorus of voracious boos during the team's home opener (subscription required).
The Phillies fired Kapler after an underachieving 81-81 season in 2019, the first year with Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto in the fold. He moved on and spent four seasons managing the San Francisco Giants to a 295-248 record, winning NL Manager of the Year in 2021.
The Marlins are just two years removed from then-general manager Kim Ng guiding the team to a Wild Card playoff berth in 2023. Now Kapler is in charge under president of baseball operations Peter Bendix.
“It is an exciting time to be part of the Marlins’ organization, and I am ready to continue the great work we are doing here, alongside Peter [Bendix] and our entire baseball operations staff,” Kapler said in a statement, per MLB.com's Christina De Nicola. “The growth and momentum we’ve built are a direct reflection of a clear vision, a strong culture and an incredible team working together toward a shared goal. I’m proud to help continue that progress and contribute to what’s ahead.”
It will be his first general manager job and it will be interesting to see how he fares with one of the league's perennial lowest payrolls. The Marlins finished 2025 with the lowest payroll at $67.79 million. Despite that they finished third in the NL East, with a 79-83 record, although that says more about Atlanta and Washington.
The Phillies first meeting with Kapler's Marlins in 2026 will come on the road with four games at loanDepot Park from May 1 to 4.