New GM Ng on next steps with the Marlins

MIAMI -- Kim Ng has been riding a wave of emotions since being named the Marlins' new general manager on Friday. Now, she is ready to hit the ground running, with the Hot Stove season about to heat up.

Simply gaining a seat at the table as the first woman general manager in MLB history was a landmark step for Ng. Next comes getting up to speed with the Marlins organization and performing her duties as a top executive.

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Ng, who turns 52 on Tuesday, is prepared to move quickly. She has no choice, because tough decisions regarding the 40-man roster need to be made, as well as plans for addressing free agency and trades.

Ng addressed what's next on Monday during her introductory news conference at Marlins Park.

First order of business
“The first thing that needs to be done is I’ve got to really familiarize myself with all the ins and outs of the players on the 40-man roster, as well as in our Minor League system,” Ng said.

In the upcoming days, she will be involved in meetings with the rest of the front office as she works to establish that familiarity.

Decision-making process
Chief executive officer Derek Jeter has made it clear that a wide range of opinions go into making final decisions. It's not just one voice in the room making the call.

“In terms of the baseball decisions, that's going to be a collaborative process,” Ng said. “It's going to require different people from different facets of the organization, of the baseball operations, being at the table, talking about different players -- our players, other organization's players -- and really getting the feel for the different attributes.”

Challenges the Marlins face as a lower-revenue market
“I think the most important thing in this whole thing is to know the prospects that you have,” Ng said. “To know your Minor League system. Throughout my career, at each step of the way, we had young players. We had young, core, premium players. Obviously, Derek was part of the 'Core Four' in New York. In L.A., we had guys like Matt Kemp and Russell Martin.”

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Importance of past history with Jeter, vice president of player development and scouting Gary Denbo and manager Don Mattingly
Ng has known Denbo and Jeter for more than 20 years and Mattingly for around 10 years.

“I think it will make it very smooth,” Ng said. “Through all my conversations over the last couple of weeks, they all just felt incredibly comfortable. I think that is a huge, huge factor in this. I also know that having a history with these guys, there is not as much of a learning curve. I think it's going to be a seamless transition.”

Role in the community
“From a business perspective, I want to be out there more in the community,” Ng said. “I want the Marlins to be seen as a pillar of the community. I will be out there at different functions, to make sure that people understand who we were, where we're going and where we want to take this organization.”

State of the farm system
“I think it's important to know who your players are and to evaluate them objectively,” Ng said, "and know which ones you can keep and which ones you can trade. I think, being from a smaller market now, the player development system is just so incredibly important, as well as your acquisition modes, whether it is domestic or international.

“Looking at this system, it's rated as one of the top systems in baseball right now. Obviously, a good job has been done here. We're just looking to build on that, more and more. I think that's how you get to the self-sustaining model that you need over an elongated time. You've got to go with a lot of good, young players and then fill in where you can.”