Former Marlins GM Kim Ng joins emerging softball league as senior advisor

What's next for Kim Ng after her sudden split from the Miami Marlins organization last October? The Athletes Unlimited Softball League announced on Monday that she'll serve as a senior advisor.

“I’m excited about this opportunity to be involved with Athletes Unlimited and the sport that I grew up playing, while helping to lead the AUSL as it prepares to launch,” Ng said in the AUSL press release regarding her hire. “Given its growth at the grassroots and collegiate levels in recent years, softball is poised for tremendous growth at the professional level, and I believe the AUSL is well positioned for success.”

Launching in May 2025, the AUSL will feature four professional softball teams competing in a 30-game season with games in 6-8 different cities, according to the league's website. The AUSL will become a city-based league beginning in 2026.

Ng played softball at the University of Chicago prior to beginning her baseball career in 1990. Three decades later, she was hired by the Marlins as the first female general manager in North American professional sports history.

The Marlins had a 220-266 record (.453 winning percentage) during Ng's tenure. Of course, she went off on a high note, constructing the 2023 squad that crushed preseason expectations, finished 84-78 and earned a postseason berth in what was the final guaranteed year of her contract. Rather than present her with a multi-year extension and the chance to continue leading Miami's baseball operations department, owner Bruce Sherman sought a president of baseball ops to oversee her, citing concerns about the organization's barren farm system and overall sustainability. Under those conditions, Ng declined her side of a 2024 mutual option and left the Fish.

Peter Bendix was brought in a few weeks later as POBO. Bendix overhauled the front office staff, but retained many of the players from the 2023 roster. The Marlins have a .357 winning percentage through his first half-season in charge, on pace for the third-worst record in franchise history.

At the time of Ng's departure, the Boston Red Sox were the only other MLB team searching for a new baseball ops leader. The Red Sox reportedly requested her to interview for the vacancy, but she declined. They ultimately selected Craig Breslow.

Whether it's with another MLB team or the commissioner's office, I suspect Ng will get the itch to return to baseball eventually. Through her AUSL position, she can utilize her vast experience in a different way if the right opportunity does not arise.