Marlins rebuild towards new building
It’s rebuilding time in Florida. Again. But this time Jeffrey Loria and his gang are rebuilding towards a new stadium after years of wrangling with Marlins fans and Florida lawmakers.
The Florida Marlins have had so many rebuilding jobs in their short history it’s difficult to keep count. There was the first build job when they entered the league in 1993, then the post-World Series dump and rebuilding after their 1997 championship, another won after their 2003 World Series, the post-2005 salary purge and now this past winter. So that’s at least three rebuilds plus the first build.
Team president Larry Beinfest and GM Michael Hill made a blockbuster deal that should benefit both Florida and Detroit this past winter, shipping left-hander Dontrelle Willis and third baseman Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers for six young players in return. As it stands now, three of the players they got back – LHP Andrew Miller, C Mike Rabelo and OF Cameron Maybin – will likely begin their major league on-the-job training this year, with Miller and Maybin two that own solid All-Star potential.
I have to say that, despite the 91 losses last year, current field boss Fredi Gonzalez did a pretty darn good job in his first season on the top step of the dugout. But this year? It will take a minor miracle for Gonzalez and the Marlins to only lose 91 games. One thing is for certain: Gonzalez, hitting coach Jim Presley and pitching coach Mark Wiley are going to earn their salaries.
Oh, and just to give everyone some fair warning, it looks like the Florida Marlins won’t be around more than a few seasons. Part of the stadium financing deal includes the team changing their name to the Miami Marlins by the time they move into the new park. That is due to state lawmakers dragging their feet on stadium financing before Miami and Dade County decided to pony up a few hundred million for the deal.
PITCHING
Out goes Dontrelle Willis, in comes Andrew Miller. The southpaw out of UNC and the sixth overall pick in 2006 is undoubtedly going to have a bumpy ride in his first full MLB season, but he should pan out in the long run.
Miller won’t start Opening Day as Gonzalez is expected to make it official soon by naming left-hander Scott Olsen to that honor. Coming off a season that he’d rather forget, both on and off the field, Olsen will be counted on to provide some leadership on the pitching staff at the tender age of 24.
Sergio Mitre is listed as the No. 2 starter on every depth chart I’ve seen so far. And considering the fragile right-hander had to leave his first outing of the Spring on Thursday, the shallow depth of this rotation could be tested from the very start. Miller should be in the three-spot with a trio arms battling for the final two starting jobs.
If Mitre’s elbow is beyond just being sore, it would give left-hander Mark Hendrickson and right-handers Ricky Nolasco and Rick VandenHurk jobs to begin the season. Nolasco might have the best stuff of that trio.
Hoping for a midseason return is right-hander Anibal Sanchez. Alas, he also reported some pain in his right shoulder that went under the knife last June.
The bullpen has a bunch of no-names that are underrated by many. Start with Kevin Gregg who returns as the closer off a 32-save, 3.54 ERA campaign in 2007. Setting him up will be a four-arm contingent that includes right-handers Justin Miller, Matt Lindstrom and Lee Gardner, plus lefty Taylor Tankersley who actually entered last spring as the leading candidate to become the Marlins’ closer. That quintet – Gregg, Miller, Lindstrom, Gardner and Tankersley – combined for 17 wins, 35 saves and a 3.17 ERA in over 330 innings in 2007.
Set to battle it out this spring for the last spot or two in the bullpen is a long list of castoffs that includes Joe Nelson, Doug Waechter, Logan Kensing and Renyel Pinto. If and when the Marlins need a spot starter – and they will – keep an eye on Eulogio De La Cruz, another one of the pieces Florida picked up from Detroit in the Cabrera/Willis trade.
OFFENSE/DEFENSE
Losing Cabrera from the middle of the lineup is going to hurt, if only because of the protection he afforded Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla hitting ahead of him. Ramirez, one of the game’s top players – and considered the best young player by many – has proven too valuable in the leadoff spot to drop him despite 29 homers last year, eight of them leading off a game. But Uggla, who batted second between Ramirez and Cabrera most of 2007, will likely drop to third or fourth in the order.
No matter where the duo bats, that is one helluva’ middle infield tandem, and it’s almost a shame it will be with a team that could lose 100 times this year. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Mike Jacobs should be back at first base for Florida, but the third base picture is not so clear. The Marlins inked former Angels third sacker Dallas McPherson who has the potential to at least take up some of the power slack of not having Cabrera around any longer. But McPherson has had back trouble and is already being held out of some action this Spring due to what the team’s MLB.com site reported as “discomfort in his side.”
Infield reserves should go to Jason Wood at the corners with Alfredo Amezaga and Robert Andino in the middle of the field. Jorge Cantu and Jose Castillo could now be moving up the depth chart at third with McPherson being sidelined.
Left and right field is where we should find Josh Willingham and Jeremy Hermida respectively. Hermida is even being penciled in as the possible No. 3 hitter with Willingham probably in the five- or six-hole.
Center field is still up in the air, but young Maybin will be given the first shot to win the job in Spring Training. A former first-round pick (2005, #10 overall), Maybin played all of six games above the Single-A level before Detroit gave him a cup of coffee last season. Ideally he would receive at least half a season at Triple-A, but then these aren’t necessarily ideal times in Miami.
Amezaga provides some center field backup if Maybin isn’t ready to assume the position. Florida also inked Luis Gonzalez to a one-year deal. Cody Ross should get the last outfield reserve role.
Key Player(s): Let’s start on offense where Hermida has all the tools to take over the No. 3 spot in the batting order and at least lessen the loss of Cabrera. But the mound, specifically the starting rotation, is where the Marlins will either be just a 90-loss team or suffer the ignominy of a 100-loss season.
Futures: Two of my five simulations ended with Florida dropping 99 games. So a best-case scenario for the club would appear to be a repeat of last year’s 71-91 mark. And I feel it’s more likely for them to struggle to reach the upper-60s on the ‘W’ side of the ledger.
Both BetCris and The Greek set their wins break at 68½. Over at 5Dimes, the Marlins are +5000 in the NL East, +6600 to win their third NL Pennant and +12500 to win their third World Series.
It’s rebuilding time in Florida. Again. But this time Jeffrey Loria and his gang are rebuilding towards a new stadium after years of wrangling with Marlins fans and Florida lawmakers.
The Florida Marlins have had so many rebuilding jobs in their short history it’s difficult to keep count. There was the first build job when they entered the league in 1993, then the post-World Series dump and rebuilding after their 1997 championship, another won after their 2003 World Series, the post-2005 salary purge and now this past winter. So that’s at least three rebuilds plus the first build.
Team president Larry Beinfest and GM Michael Hill made a blockbuster deal that should benefit both Florida and Detroit this past winter, shipping left-hander Dontrelle Willis and third baseman Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers for six young players in return. As it stands now, three of the players they got back – LHP Andrew Miller, C Mike Rabelo and OF Cameron Maybin – will likely begin their major league on-the-job training this year, with Miller and Maybin two that own solid All-Star potential.
I have to say that, despite the 91 losses last year, current field boss Fredi Gonzalez did a pretty darn good job in his first season on the top step of the dugout. But this year? It will take a minor miracle for Gonzalez and the Marlins to only lose 91 games. One thing is for certain: Gonzalez, hitting coach Jim Presley and pitching coach Mark Wiley are going to earn their salaries.
Oh, and just to give everyone some fair warning, it looks like the Florida Marlins won’t be around more than a few seasons. Part of the stadium financing deal includes the team changing their name to the Miami Marlins by the time they move into the new park. That is due to state lawmakers dragging their feet on stadium financing before Miami and Dade County decided to pony up a few hundred million for the deal.
PITCHING
Out goes Dontrelle Willis, in comes Andrew Miller. The southpaw out of UNC and the sixth overall pick in 2006 is undoubtedly going to have a bumpy ride in his first full MLB season, but he should pan out in the long run.
Miller won’t start Opening Day as Gonzalez is expected to make it official soon by naming left-hander Scott Olsen to that honor. Coming off a season that he’d rather forget, both on and off the field, Olsen will be counted on to provide some leadership on the pitching staff at the tender age of 24.
Sergio Mitre is listed as the No. 2 starter on every depth chart I’ve seen so far. And considering the fragile right-hander had to leave his first outing of the Spring on Thursday, the shallow depth of this rotation could be tested from the very start. Miller should be in the three-spot with a trio arms battling for the final two starting jobs.
If Mitre’s elbow is beyond just being sore, it would give left-hander Mark Hendrickson and right-handers Ricky Nolasco and Rick VandenHurk jobs to begin the season. Nolasco might have the best stuff of that trio.
Hoping for a midseason return is right-hander Anibal Sanchez. Alas, he also reported some pain in his right shoulder that went under the knife last June.
The bullpen has a bunch of no-names that are underrated by many. Start with Kevin Gregg who returns as the closer off a 32-save, 3.54 ERA campaign in 2007. Setting him up will be a four-arm contingent that includes right-handers Justin Miller, Matt Lindstrom and Lee Gardner, plus lefty Taylor Tankersley who actually entered last spring as the leading candidate to become the Marlins’ closer. That quintet – Gregg, Miller, Lindstrom, Gardner and Tankersley – combined for 17 wins, 35 saves and a 3.17 ERA in over 330 innings in 2007.
Set to battle it out this spring for the last spot or two in the bullpen is a long list of castoffs that includes Joe Nelson, Doug Waechter, Logan Kensing and Renyel Pinto. If and when the Marlins need a spot starter – and they will – keep an eye on Eulogio De La Cruz, another one of the pieces Florida picked up from Detroit in the Cabrera/Willis trade.
OFFENSE/DEFENSE
Losing Cabrera from the middle of the lineup is going to hurt, if only because of the protection he afforded Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla hitting ahead of him. Ramirez, one of the game’s top players – and considered the best young player by many – has proven too valuable in the leadoff spot to drop him despite 29 homers last year, eight of them leading off a game. But Uggla, who batted second between Ramirez and Cabrera most of 2007, will likely drop to third or fourth in the order.
No matter where the duo bats, that is one helluva’ middle infield tandem, and it’s almost a shame it will be with a team that could lose 100 times this year. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Mike Jacobs should be back at first base for Florida, but the third base picture is not so clear. The Marlins inked former Angels third sacker Dallas McPherson who has the potential to at least take up some of the power slack of not having Cabrera around any longer. But McPherson has had back trouble and is already being held out of some action this Spring due to what the team’s MLB.com site reported as “discomfort in his side.”
Infield reserves should go to Jason Wood at the corners with Alfredo Amezaga and Robert Andino in the middle of the field. Jorge Cantu and Jose Castillo could now be moving up the depth chart at third with McPherson being sidelined.
Left and right field is where we should find Josh Willingham and Jeremy Hermida respectively. Hermida is even being penciled in as the possible No. 3 hitter with Willingham probably in the five- or six-hole.
Center field is still up in the air, but young Maybin will be given the first shot to win the job in Spring Training. A former first-round pick (2005, #10 overall), Maybin played all of six games above the Single-A level before Detroit gave him a cup of coffee last season. Ideally he would receive at least half a season at Triple-A, but then these aren’t necessarily ideal times in Miami.
Amezaga provides some center field backup if Maybin isn’t ready to assume the position. Florida also inked Luis Gonzalez to a one-year deal. Cody Ross should get the last outfield reserve role.
Key Player(s): Let’s start on offense where Hermida has all the tools to take over the No. 3 spot in the batting order and at least lessen the loss of Cabrera. But the mound, specifically the starting rotation, is where the Marlins will either be just a 90-loss team or suffer the ignominy of a 100-loss season.
Futures: Two of my five simulations ended with Florida dropping 99 games. So a best-case scenario for the club would appear to be a repeat of last year’s 71-91 mark. And I feel it’s more likely for them to struggle to reach the upper-60s on the ‘W’ side of the ledger.
Both BetCris and The Greek set their wins break at 68½. Over at 5Dimes, the Marlins are +5000 in the NL East, +6600 to win their third NL Pennant and +12500 to win their third World Series.