Could Yankees’ Brian Cashman go head to head in AL East with GM he once groomed?

A new general manager candidate just hit the open market.

Kim Ng is departing from the Marlins after serving three seasons as general manager. Miami exercised its team option for her 2024 return, but she declined her mutual option.

Ng will be in high demand, and she has a connection up in Boston. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Ng’s availability could be a “game-changer” for the Red Sox’s baseball operations search because of her history with manager Alex Cora. They were both with the Dodgers from 2002-2004 while Ng was assistant GM and Cora was a player.

Ng was an assistant general manager for the Yankees from 1998-2001 under Brian Cashman.

Last month, the Red Sox parted ways with Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom. Boston has been finding the position “hard to fill,” reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive.

When the Marlins hired Ng in 2020, she became the highest-ranking woman in MLB baseball operations. This year, she hired manager Skip Schumaker and the Marlins went 84-78 before losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Wild Card.

“Last week, [owner] Bruce (Sherman) and I discussed his plan to reshape the Baseball Operations department. 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,” Ng told Tyler Kepner of The Athletic on Monday. “I wish to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Marlins family and its fans for my time in South Florida.”

Sherman said in a statement: “Although the club exercised its team option for her to return for the 2024 season, Kim has declined her mutual option. We thank Kim for her contributions during her time with our organization and wish her and her family well.”

Bridget Hyland may be reached at [email protected]