The Marlins are hiring Dodgers catching coordinator Craig Driver away as their new first base coach, reports Craig Mish of SportsGrid. He’ll replace Tyler Smarslok, who held that role in 2025 but is leaving the organization to become the new field coordinator for the division-rival Nationals, per a report from Andrew Golden and Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post.
Driver is plenty familiar with Marlins skipper Clayton McCullough, with whom he worked during on the Dodgers’ 2024 coaching staff. Driver spent the 2024-25 seasons as L.A.’s catching coordinator. McCullough was the Dodgers’ first base coach from 2021-24. Prior to his time with the Dodgers, Driver spent several seasons as the Cubs’ first base coach and catching coach. He was a bullpen catcher and “receiving coach” with the Phillies for a couple years before heading to Chicago.
A catcher during his NCAA days, Driver went undrafted and jumped into the college coaching ranks upon graduation. His final stint in college ball was in 2016-17, when he was the catching coach at Yale. He’s been working in pro ball since 2018.
Miami’s coaching staff isn’t turning over all that much in 2026. Driver is one of three known newcomers at present, joining newly hired assistant hitting coaches Chris Hess and Corbin Day, who came over from the Red Sox and Twins organizations, respectively, where they’d been minor league coaches/instructors. Last year’s assistant hitting coach, Derek Shomon, left the Fish to take the lead hitting coach job with the White Sox.
Let’s hope his success is not mini.
Puns are the lowest form of humor. Unfunny puns even more so.
Yet people still continue to think they are funny. For some reason.
Same reason people laugh at fart jokes I guess. And you can almost guarantee that the first comment on every article is some moronic pun.
You’re not better than anyone because you didn’t like the pun.
Just let him puntificate; it seems to make him feel Skye high.
What a weird thing to say. I never implied I was better than anyone, it’s just that puns are basically moronic and not funny. If that makes you feel like someone is better, I’m sorry, that isn’t my fault.
By posting first, he was clearly in the driver seat.
Must have not learned from Adam on how to use his litesaber to his advantage
Really? Please explain your wisdom to us in more detail. Why? We all look forward to so much more from you.
As someone who has reminded a chronic “punner” of that saying; I’ve heard that said by a comedian.
As I understand that critique of puns from a comic, it’s because it’s the low-hanging fruit that everyone can see and get. In that sense, it’s a low effort attempt at humor.
Says someone whose handle is the answer to one of the oldest puns in the book. How didya like them apples?
Hopefully, he doesn’t screw it up and makes an impact so the fanbase don’t go nuts and bolts.
Minnie : )
The Marlins do not play in Orlando.
Driver, please, Danny. Na-na-na-na-na-na-na….
He’s gonna be a manager some day
I went off on a totally different route and thought the third base coach would be Bob Putter. Pitching coach is Ned Wedge.
Eric Wedge. Keep it baseball.
Should be the Third Base Coach so he could drive the runners home.