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With Competition Tightening in NL East, Marlins Look For Sustainability

February 14, 2013 in Offseason, Spring Training

The Nationals won the division last season built on the strength of young pitching and strong offensive assets like Bryce Harper. The Braves are looking to reclaim their ownership of the NL East by signing the Upton brothers this offseason to boost up their offense and defense. The Phillies are always looking for ways to improve and they attempted to do so via a questionable trade with Texas for Michael Young. The Mets traded away their Cy Young winner, R.A. Dickey, to get a stud catching prospect from the Blue Jays to build a future for their team.

Where does that leave the Marlins?

The Nats, winning 98 games last season, are clearly still the class of the division. They have the best arms and are deep on the field as well. The Braves tried to make a big jump in signing the Uptons, and their pitching can always be expected to be solid. The competition at the top has gotten tougher while the Mets and the Phillies are looking to regroup. The Mets cashed out their Cy Young talent to get Travis D’Arnaud as their backstop for the future and the Phillies still have a pretty formidable starting rotation on paper. So as of right now, it looks like the Marlins are looking up in their division and not necessarily looking to rise up in the standings.

Yet, there is a plan and the Marlins realized something after spending over $100M last offseason on flashy free agent names – it wasn’t sustainable, and it wasn’t true to their identity. Sure, fans are going to be upset and feel like they were betrayed. How could then not after pulling a ‘just kidding’ after barely one season? Other teams made big changes to payroll heavy assets, but escaped the critical swath of pen and ink in the media.

In order for the Marlins to compete not just for one year, like a blip on the radar screen, but more long term, they have to rebuild. They have to build a strong foundation and you do that by grabbing as much younger talent as you can. This is done for two basic reasons: one, it is cheaper to stock up on young talent and two, you have a chance to rebuild the culture.

The Marlins picked the right man for the job in Mike Redmond. We all know about his connections to this franchise but his experience in coaching younger players will be critical, too. After all, this team does have a lot of younger players and having a manager who can relate to them will help in the marathon-like MLB season.

But the foundation has to go beyond just the man making the lineup cards each day. You need stronger pitching, defense, and hitting. The young arms that the Marlins have acquired over the past season point the way. Jacob Turner, Nathan Eovaldi, Henderson Alvarez were all on different teams last season and not options the Marlins had in-house. Now, they will be expected to log about 600 innings over the course of the 2013 season as Chuck Hernandez looks on and guides them. Although the Marlins did bring in some veteran long shots, it seems that Wade LeBlanc, who impressed last Spring Training, should get the nod to fill out the rotation. With familiar face Ricky Nolasco taking over as staff ace, the Marlins have to find a way to also replace the near 400IP from Mark Buerhle and Josh Johnson from last season. If for some reason the starters falter, the Marlins do have options like Jose Fernandez ready to step in – who just may be 2013 version of Dontrelle Willis in terms of making the transition and impact at the MLB level. A guy, mind you, who was scouted by Chuck Hernandez.

Perry Hill makes his return and looks bring the defense back from the dead. The Marlins had a slick glove in Jose Reyes, who is now one of the departed, but the Marlins got back Adeiny Hechavarria who can replace Reyes defensively. Logan Morrison, whatever his fate, moves out of LF and back to more familiar territory to 1B. Placido Polanco takes over at 3B, who is gold-glove caliber (if he can stay healthy). In fact, both Polanco and Juan Pierre add by subtraction as they both come over from the Phillies.

As for the offense, well, this is Giancarlo Stanton’s team in that regard. His 37 home runs and .608 SLG% were impressive especially considering he missed 38 games. Stanton projects to get 45 home runs at that 2012 rate. But who will protect him in the lineup? One thing is for sure, the Marlins are looking to get back to that old formula of speed on the basebaths. They brought back Pierre and now added Chone Figgins as a possible Emilio Bonifacio replacement as a utility player with speed that can play OF to IF and run everywhere between.

Pitching, speed, defense, and timely hitting. If you can do those things, you have a more stable game plan in place to win game to game and from season to season. As a younger team, the Marlins will be expected to put the right kind of culture in place with coaching from Redmond, Hernandez, defensive-guru Hill, and a former Yankee 1B Tito Martinez. The scouting focus is always to get more pitching depth but more importantly the organizational focus is about building with a strong foundation and not through free agency. Free agency has to be a means to supplement your team. The direction the Marlins have chosen is a more sustainable one, albeit a controversial one in light of this past season.

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Braves Choke; Marlins Look To Future

September 28, 2011 in Marlins History, Regular Season

The Braves ended their epic fail season by losing to the Phillies today while watching the Cardinals sail past them to grab the NL Wildcard on the final day of the season. The Cardinals were only 8.5 games in back of the Braves as of September 5th.

Meanwhile, the Marlins were closing out their 2011 season by losing to the Nationals in their last ever game at the cavernous Joe Robbie-turned-Sun Life Stadium. Yet, you could feel more of a buzz about the Marlins going forward.

A couple of weeks ago the Braves were heading to the postseason while riding the coattails of two ex-Marlins in Dan Uggla and skipper Fredi Gonzalez. It was looking bleak as the Fish were squandering what looked like a promising start to the season into an injury-riddled, listless movement that seemed to show the Marlins were not going anywhere soon.

With Ozzie Guillen’s return to Miami, and getting to inaugurate the new home for the Marlins in downtown Miami, all of that has changed. I have to admit, it was looking like another mistake by the Marlins in that clearly they hired the right manager but for the wrong team. I was starting to wonder if we had been wrong about Fredi and with Joe Girardi leading his team into the playoffs again, it was feeling a bit like rejection at the high school prom.

Funny how perspectives and fortunes can change literally overnight. Now where would you rather be: faced with explaining a huge collapse or asking questions to Ozzie Guillen about the direction of his new ballclub?

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Marlins Hang Up Seventh Loss in a Row

June 8, 2011 in Regular Season

The good news is the Marlins ended a 23 inning scoreless streak tonight in the 9th inning with a Mike Stanton hit that helped rally the Fish down 2-0.

Then the bad news: the Marlins give back a run in the top of the 10th to lose the game. To add Tabasco to the wound, Gaby Sanchez was up with runners on first and second but was called out on a questionable pitch to end the game.

The Marlins have now lost seven in a row; six of them by one run. It’s a frustrating run for the Fish but they are showing signs of coming out of their slide. They will need to keep stringing hits together to find a way just to claw out a win.

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Dan Uggla Traded to Braves

November 16, 2010 in Featured, The Latest

Looks like one more ex-Marlin will be joining the Braves.

First it was Fredi Gonzalez to replace the man in Atlanta, Bobby Cox. Now, Fish fans have to suffer a bit more while they watch fan favorite Dan Uggla pack his bags for Atlanta, too.

To say it has been a tough season for the Marlins is an understatement as Jorge Cantu parted ways to Texas earlier and Cody Ross ended up in San Francisco only to work his way into a post season celebrity – and with a beard to boot.

Now, “His Name is” Dan Uggla will take his Popeye forearms and big right handed swing north leaving the Marlins with a big gap in the middle of their lineup. In exchange, the Marlins get 2B Omar Infante and LHP Mike Dunn.

Uggla had his most successful offensive season with the Marlins this past year, hitting .287 with 33 home runs and 105 RBIs. He is 13th all time among 2nd basemen with home runs, and he leads all of the majors in home runs among 2nd basemen since he debuted in the bigs with the Fish back in 2006.

We wish you the best, Dan. Just not when you are facing our Fish.

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Leo Nunez Sucks

August 29, 2010 in Featured, The Fish Tank

No way of getting around it, Leo Nunez just plain sucks.

Sure, the kid is young, has a decent fastball and 29 saves. Problem is, he is no where near a consistent closer and every save opportunity he gets is a thrill ride – and not a fun one where you get off buzzin’ but instead the kind where you get off and puke and wonder why your back hurts. You want your mommy and you cry and want your money back, too.

Leo Nunez is responsible for the oil spill in the gulf, the ozone layer deteriorating, and the Marlins’ dip away from the postseason. Ok, maybe the first two are an exageration, but you can argue the last one is not.

You’ve got to wonder what the Marlins’ brass sees in this kid. Edwin Rodriguez keeps dumping him onto the mound in the 9th during close games. He has shown no ability to get outs consistently or even to be consistent with his control. In fact, of the 37 save appearances, he has made 29 saves. That means 8 blown saves. The Marlins lead all of baseball with 23 blown saves. Think about that.

Take half of that number – 12.5. Ok, 12. Add that to the Marlins win total. Where does that put them? You’re damn right, ahead of the Braves, that is for sure.

Now, 8 blown saves out of 37. That means Leo Nunez has almost a 22% failure rate on the season. Now, of the team’s total blown saves, 23, Nunez accounts for 35%.

Let’s face it, that just sucks.

It isn’t that he only has 8 blown saves, but even of his 29 saves there have been some which could have gone the other way, too. Sure, in 53.1 innings, he has only 16 BBs and 58Ks. Solid numbers. He also sports a 3.38 ERA – but that was before giving up 2 home runs to the Braves today. Still, even that number has come down from last year – his ERA was 4.06. He also came into this game only giving up 3 home runs while giving up 13 last season. He even has improved his ground out to air out ratio. Last year it was .91 (meaning more air outs to ground outs – 78:66). This year it is 1.91 (32:59). His WHIP is respectable (1.29) vs. last year (1.25) and he has only given up 53 hits in 53.1 innings.

The problem goes beyond the stats though and into Nunez’s mind. If you watch him come out to the game, he is a wreck. He is chewing his gum faster than a crack fiend, and is sweating like a “woman of ill repute”  in church (hey, this is a family site!). What’s worse is, he usually hasn’t thrown a pitch by this point!

Nunez would be a terrific set up man. He can come in, throw his stuff around and if he does any damage, the Fish will at least have a chance to clean it up on offense. There is also no pressure. He is not the last one to take the ball. Clearly, he is not the right choice for the Marlins to end games. They need someone who can throw strikes and be a calming presence at the end of games. Whomever that is, it sure isn’t Hanley’s buddy, Leo Nunez. Get him out of there and NEVER let him close again.

Unless it is for the Phillies, Braves, Mets, etc.

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Ross Gload’s Pinch Hit Home Run Gives Finger to Braves

July 29, 2009 in Regular Season, walk off

Sweet delectable justice served with a fist. That is what we like to see. And in this tight NL East race for 2nd place – as the Phillies laugh and pull away – nothing is sweeter than what occured last night.

You’ve probably seen the highlights by now. If not, go to Florida Marlins.com and watch it. Like 5 times. Ross Gload comes to the plate in the ultimate drama – his team is down 3-2 after Leo Nunez gave up a home run to a stinking Brave to potentially lose the game. Ross Gload was having none of that.

Gload stepped up to the plate with his usual intensity – the kind that one finds in an old western just before the shootout. Only the hero in this story wasn’t about to be put in a pine box, he was the one pulling the trigger to drop the other man. Gload’s home run launched into the right field bleachers and it seemed to continue traveling off into the night. He rounded the bases with a swagger and got his friendly beatin’ when he touched home plate to end the game.

Perfect. Just perfect.

To have a guy come over from the AL and quietly go about his business – getting himself prepared every game to come off the bench and be a left handed asset for Fredi Gonzalez – is a huge luxury. And for the cash-strapped Marlins, a massive asset. Gload has been the perfect complement to Wes Helms, a shrewd veteran that knows his craft, loves to compete, and won’t back down. He just got his chance to show how good he is and helped his team tremendously.

The Marlins are on a roll now. They just went on a road trip and won 5 of 6 games on the west coast, and came home to face the hot Braves for a pit fight in the stacking order of the NL East. Even if the Phillies continue to stay hot, the Marlins have to keep pace to tread water for a possible late September leap frog with the Phillies. Or even to keep an eye on the Wild Card race, which may potentially get the Fish extra baseball this season.

Doing it against the Braves is just so satisfying. You can’t help but imagine a wink from Gload when he did it.

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