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Miami Marlins demote Brett Butler, Lenny Harris becomes third base coach

Brett Butler will become the Marlins' outfield instructor.

By Scott Gelman
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

After firing Mike Redmond and moving Dan Jennings from the front office into the dugout, the Marlins are not done making moves. According to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, Lenny Harris will become the new third base coach after confusion with the signs resulted in Brett Butler getting demoted.

Since the Marlins fired Redmond, the club has struggled to win consistently and as Rosenthal adds, managers around the league have had difficulty understanding the move. Some have gone on to second-guess Jennings' moves throughout the week, and with Harris taking over at third base, Rosenthal notes the coaching changes are beginning to affect the players' performance.

Butler managed Arizona's Triple-A affiliate for five seasons before joining the Marlins' staff. When Redmond was dismissed, the expectation was Butler would serve as the interim manager. He has been the third base coach for the last two seasons and will now oversee Miami's outfield and base-running. Although he is still on the staff, Butler could opt to resign moving forward. Confusion with regard to signs became apparent, Rosenthal notes, and led the Marlins to make a change.

The Marlins hired Harris to be the assistant hitting coach before the start of the season. He does not have any third base coaching experience and the Marlins may explore other coaching options.

Rosenthal reports frustration among Marlins' players is becoming clear, but the organization may not be motivated to make any other coaching changes until the offseason.

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