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A Glimpse Into the Future: What Are the Plans for the Marlins Outfield?

May 19, 2013 in Contracts, Fish Farm, Injuries, Regular Season

Marcell-Ozuna-Getty-ImagesWe may have a slight problem.

Giancarlo Stanton is poised to be coming off the DL soon. He is running on an anti-gravity treadmill – no, it is nothing out of Star Trek, just a vest that he wears while running on a treadmill to take his weight off of his body while he runs. He has been showing signs of progress and should be back sooner rather than later from a Grade 2 hamstring pull. Estimates are a few more weeks; he has missed 18 straight games since going on the DL on April 29th and reportedly has had an injection of plasma to help his recovery.

The other side of this is, what happens when he does return? Many were weighing in today on Twitter as we all watched Marcell Ozuna hit a blast to left center to score 2 runs to eventually prove the difference in this afternoon’s win. It looks as if Ozuna is going to stick for the remainder of the season. He is hitting .299 with 1 HR and 8 RBI in 62 ABs. He has a rocket arm in RF and can play excellent defense to boot. Stanton is the team’s starting RF, so in all likelihood, Ozuna would shift to LF.

That brings us to the LF situation. Having Juan Pierre is a defensive liability, and his offense is predicated on getting on base and wreaking havoc with his speed. Although he has been able to steal 13 bases thus far, and provided solid leadership and hustle every game, the Marlins offense is going nowhere without any means to provide pop in the lineup. In all likelihood, we may see Juan Pierre’s playing time downgraded to a backup situation, or platoon in LF with Ozuna from time to time.

Christian Yelich is lurking in AA Jacksonville, waiting for his call up. His position? LF. He has arguably the most promising bat in the entire Marlins farm system so he could dislodge Ozuna from LF, too. Yelich has played CF and can field that position as well. So, another scenario would mean that Yelich is called up to man CF.

Which then brings us to yet another domino – what do the Marlins do about Jake Marisnick and his future and Justin Ruggiano and his present? Ruggiano has provided some pop and looks to be a solid trade bait option down the road. This may be the most likely scenario for him as the Marlins move forward, given the progress of Ozuna and Yelich. In Marisnick, the Marlins can afford to wait longer and let his bat mature more. He has the tools to be a very good CF in the bigs and right now, could be a gold glove caliber defender in CF. He may actually be the Marlins best defensive outfielder in their farm system.

Another wild idea here could be to move Stanton to 1B. It wouldn’t happen this season, but if he could learn to field the position a bit, he could be moved to 1B and allow for Ozuna to resume his natural position in RF, Yelich slides back to LF, and Marisnick gets his spot in CF. If that is the scenario the Marlins shoot for, that leaves them with loads of talent they could flip for more prospects – Ruggiano, Pierre, Coghlan. All three of those OFers could be solid veteran bats for playoff contending teams looking to add depth down the stretch. Given their flexible contracts, they would provide extra value for the Fish, too. And if the Marlins plan on moving Stanton to 1B, Logan Morrison becomes expendable and could be a highly sought after bat down the stretch as well.

Ricky Nolasco continues to build his value – his 8 inning, 11 K performance this afternoon puts him back on the market and ahead of other options that my be on teams’ radars. Combining him with a Ruggiano, Pierre, Coghlan, or even Morrison gives the Marlins even more flexibility in making deals to shore up their talent pool even further.

We have also started to ask questions about the 2B situation – is Derek Dietrich the future there or will he be moved over to 3B? In moving Dietrich to 3B, they retain Donovan Solano and his value as a 2B with a solid glove and ability to hit out of the 2 hole while also gaining Dietrich’s bat and glove at a position with a huge void for the Fish into the foreseeable future. Placido Polanco is not a long term solution to be sure, so the Marlins must either trade for a 3B or move a prospect into that spot to fill a need.

All of these scenarios only point to one factor – the Marlins are in a position to improve internally with the talent they have been building with while also being in a position to acquire more talent to further strengthen what looks to be a rising future.

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Marlins Losing Continues, But Team Not As Bad As Their Record Indicates

May 17, 2013 in Offense, Regular Season

Yes, the Marlins are 11-30. Despicable. Deplorable. But is this team really that bad?

The Fish have had tons of injuries. Nathan Eovaldi, Henderson Alvarez, Giancarlo Stanton, Logan Morrison, Jeff Mathis, Donovan Solano, Joe Mahoney, Casey Kotchman – the list goes on and on. It hasn’t helped this team gain any consistency at all at any point in the season thus far. Not an excuse, but it certainly doesn’t help matters that two of your starters and three of your everyday position players are out.

That said, the Marlins have been able to fill holes – if you can see it that way. Marcell Ozuna has been called up to replace Giancarlo Stanton in RF; Derek Dietrich was brought up to spell some time at 2B for Donovan Solano. Kevin Slowey, Alex Sanabia, Tom Koehler, and Wade LeBlanc have all been valuable in eating innings as starters.

But is the team really as bad as a team that is 11-30? Not really when you look at the stats.

The Marlins are averaging 2.76 runs per game – last in the league. They are last in the league in hits per game (7.41), just below the Nationals (7.51). They are 20th in MLB in surrendering 4.37 runs per game to their opponents. The Marlins have amassed a run differential over the season of -66 runs thus far on the season. That is just -1.6 runs per game differential over the course of the season.

Marlins basically have to find a way to score another 1.6 runs per game to break even on their run differential, which would also push them towards becoming a realistic .500 team the rest of the way out. When you look at the guys they are getting back within the month, they may just get to that point.

Stanton and Morrison, provided the latter can start hitting anything like he did a few seasons ago, may have enough to mix this lineup into something more substantial. When you consider the young guys currently here and hitting (Dietrich, Ozuna) you may have a lot more depth and pop, too. Consider:

  1. Juan Pierre
  2. Donovan Solano
  3. Giancarlo Stanton
  4. Logan Morrison
  5. Justin Ruggiano
  6. Placido Polanco
  7. Adeiny Hechavarria
  8. Rob Brantly

You could flip Hechavarria to the 2 spot, or even plop Dietrich in there at 3B (for Polanco) or at 2B. Ozuna could play RF out right, or possibly move to LF (or have Stanton move to LF) to add more pop. All of this before even considering the arrival of Christian Yelich or Jake Marisnick.

Can the Marlins score more runs later in the year and become a more formidable offense later in the year? Very likely. Getting Mahoney and Kotchman back forces Greg Dobbs back into his role as a pinch hitter. The Marlins get deeper.

The Marlins are bad right now – not necessarily a bad team, just a bad team to watch. They can’t score runs and it seems infectious. All it takes is the right addition of hitters in the lineup and all of that could change.

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Giancarlo Stanton on 15 Day DL; Marcell Ozuna Makes MLB Debut

April 30, 2013 in Injuries, Regular Season

Miami Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton, left, is led off the field by team trainer Sean Cunningham, right, after straining his right hamstring in the ninth inning during a baseball game against the New York Mets, Monday, April, 29, 2013 in Miami. The Marlins defeated the Mets 4-3 in 15 innings. LYNNE SLADKY / AP PHOTO Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/30/3373423/miami-marlins-giancarlo-stanton.html#storylink=cpy

Miami Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton, left, is led off the field by team trainer Sean Cunningham, right, after straining his right hamstring in the ninth inning during a baseball game against the New York Mets, Monday, April, 29, 2013 in Miami. The Marlins defeated the Mets 4-3 in 15 innings. LYNNE SLADKY / AP PHOTO

Just when he was starting to get his swing back, Giancarlo Stanton came up lame trying to leg out an infield hit in extra innings last night; a game which the Marlins did win 4-3 on a Nick Green sacrifice fly.

An MRI was done and the results were negative but the prognosis is looking like about 2-3 weeks, the Miami Herald reports. Joe Mahoney also was placed on the 15 day DL after the game, but his return looks a lot better as his results were not nearly as severe as Stanton’s.

Who will replace them? Brad Hand and Marcell Ozuna were recalled. Ozuna was batting .333 with 5 HRs for the AA Jacksonville Suns and it was in part to his hot bat that he was the first option from that fearsome threesome of OFers to be called up. The other thing is, well, Jake Marisnick and Christian Yelich are only now starting to get healthy and getting some ABs.

In Ozuna, the Marlins will get a sneak peak at another of their young treasures. Jose Fernandez was given the green light to start the season in the rotation, mostly due to the injuries of Nathan Eovaldi and Henderson Alvarez. Injury has also paved the way for Kyle Skipworth to make a brief appearance with the big club.

The Marlins are clearly trying to make the best of a bad situation. They will not rush Yelich and Marisnick, who still need more seasoning and ABs to get healthy. Ozuna, who had injured his right hand in Spring Training, showed with his bat that he was more ready that both Yelich and Marisnick.

Yet getting a callup for Ozuna shows that perhaps the front office is very high on this kid after all. They did have Matt Diaz available at AAA New Orleans who could have provided another veteran bat with some pop.

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Fish Farm: Hitters Turning Heads at AA Jacksonville

April 23, 2013 in Fish Farm

It may not be who you expected. There are some hitters that are turning heads at AA Jacksonville, but it isn’t the big three OFers in Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, or Jake Marisnick. Yelich is working his way back from injury, as is Ozuna, and Marisnick is still waiting to be cleared to play.

No, it is names like Derek Dietrich, Zack Cox, Kyle Jensen, and Mark Canha who are showing some need for a promotion.

Derek Dietrich, acquired in Yunel Escobar trade with the Tampa Bay Rays back in December, is logging time at 2B. He is currently hitting .288 with a .440 OBP, .492 SLG, and .932 OPS. Brought along in the Rays system as a SS, he has been slid over to 2B and could possibly convert to 3B if he continues to hit. The Marlins do have an immediate need for a 3B but even with Donovan Solano struggling a bit, Dietrich just may get a longer look at 2B, too.

Dietrich is not the only former college stud to be cruising along right now – Zack Cox, acquired in the Edward Mujica trade with the Cardinals back in July of last season, is heating up. He currently is batting .340 with a .453 OBP, .453 SLG, and a .906 OPS. Over his last 10 games, he is hitting .355 with 11 hits in 31 ABs and only 4 Ks. He is manning 3B and if his offense can continue to improve, he may play his way up to the big leagues soon, or at least get a call up to face AAA pitching. He hasn’t hit a home run yet, but Cox doesn’t project to hit tons of homers, more like a 15-20 guy if he pans out but his defense is above average.

Kyle Jensen has plenty of power. He hit 27 HRs and 24 HRs over the past two seasons. The only question for him is, can he provide a sustainable approach at the plate once he gets to higher levels of baseball? That power has come at a price, with 137 Ks and 162 Ks in those past two seasons, too. That is over a K per game. Right now, the power is there (2 HRs in 57 ABs) but so are the Ks (18 in 17 games). He is hitting .263 with .394 OBP, .421 SLG, and .815 OPS. With the big three getting the focus, expect Jensen to get a little more time at AA JAX but with a more conservative approach, he should mature into a promising power hitter for the club down the road. He also may be moved to 1B to make him a little more dynamic and more marketable.

Which brings us to Mark Canha. A power hitting 1B prospect who hit 25 HRs back in 2011 at Greensboro, the power numbers took a dip last season. Yet his K’s and his average went up, so his maturity as a hitter may just now be starting to take root. The California 1B does have 2 HRs but is batting only .259. Yet over his last 10 games, Canha is catching fire hitting .389 with 2 HRs, 14 hits in 36 ABs, and only 8 Ks. If Canha can continue making this sort of progress, he will definitely make the leap he started last season as a hitter but also bring back the power that he showed in 2011.

 

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Marlins Spring Training 2013: Demotions, Lawsuits, and Other Notes

March 23, 2013 in Spring Training

Looks like I was wrong about Chone Figgins. Despite hitting .318 this spring with the Fish, he is not viewed as a valued asset over other options the Marlins have in house. He was released by the Marlins this past Wednesday, leaving the team with 42 players left in camp. That means that Figgins could not displace Nick Green, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Matt Downs, and Chris Valaika as an option. Figgins could also play the OF, but with a battle for CF ongoing between Chris Coghlan, Gorkys Hernandez, and Justin Ruggiano, it looks like the team doesn’t need help their either. Juan Pierre is good friends with Figgins, but not so much as to give up his time in LF. I was kind of hoping that Figgins would be an Emilio Bonifacio replacement, but it looks like the Marlins don’t need that. Figgins was a low risk move, as his contract was bought out by Seattle, so it is surprising the Marlins let him go despite solid numbers. That said, the bottom line is Kevin Kouzmanoff will likely win the backup 3B job as he can provide some pop and can also play some 1B.

I was not wrong about Christian Yelich, however – who was demoted. We all know Wonderboy can hit, can field, can do it all – but he hasn’t done it above single A. That is, until this spring when he was wrecking opponent pitching and having fun with the whole thing. He hit .364 with 5 homers and 14 RBIs. The scary thing is, this kid has not reached physical maturity yet. He has all the tools, right now, to be an everyday OF on this club but would have to sort things out experientially. Probably another factor in the Figgins decision was that if Pierre does go down, they can call up Yelich right away. That said, expect this kid to make his debut after the all star break and help propel the Marlins on a surprising run. Teams typically delay bringing up top prospects until mid-June to push their arbitration eligibility back another year – and that is really the final decision to be made on Yelich. He’ll head on up north to AA Jacksonville and play for the legendary Suns – along with Jake Marisnick and Marcell Ozuna. The folks in north Florida could be seeing the OF of the future for the Marlins come 2014 (minus Giancarlo Stanton, of course!).

Looks like the PR firm the Marlins hired aren’t doing a great job of advising their clients. The latest is this lawsuit over season ticket holders not re-upping their seats for next year. They paid $25,000 to sit along the 3B side, but declined to renew because of the addition of a billboard along the 3B fence they were sitting at protrudes about 7″ above where it was at the start of the season. They were contractually obligated to renew for this season at $25,000. Since the Marlins jettisoned their roster, it is likely these clients of the Marlins decided to cut bait, too. We’ll see if the judges agree but most likely this will create more agita for the franchise that was just trying to run out the clock on this latest trade. It would have behooved the Marlins to make a deal in silence and not let this publicity come to light – again.

Wade LeBlanc struggled against the Nationals, but he has been great all spring. In fact, Joe Capozzi seems to suggest, via dialogue with Mike Redmond, that the 5th spot is LeBlanc’s to lose. He is a lefty, and has pitched pretty well all spring, but against the Nats he struggled in keeping the ball down in the zone, something Redmond has been preaching all spring. John Maine may make a play for a spot in the rotation, if Jacob Turner doesn’t get another strong outing. In the very least, both Kevin Slowey and John Maine look to make the roster as long relievers with the potential to spot start. Alex Sanabia, as good as he is, may be the odd man out.

Nathan Eovaldi looks to be the #2 starter behind Ricky Nolasco, who had a strong outing last night against the Mets, throwing 101 pitches. Nolasco is the unquestionable ace of this staff, whether or not he lives up to that remains to be seen but he is relishing the opportunity, reports say. Eovaldi has great stuff and has been able to harness control of his repertoire so his progress looks really good. Henderson Alvarez still seems like a bit of a mystery to me, he gives up a lot of hits still. Jacob Turner will be fine – he is only 21 but has good poise on the mound. The only concern is his leveling off of his velocity, which seems to be stuck on only 91. If he can’t sort things out, the Marlins will replace him with either Slowey or Maine and let him work it out in AAA NOLA.

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Baseball America Assesses Miami Marlins International Moves

February 19, 2013 in Free Agency

After finishing with the sixth-worst record in the majors last year, the Marlins will have one of the biggest international bonus pools for the 2013-14 international signing period that begins on July 2. Yet given ownership’s reluctance to invest in the international market, other teams are already targeting the Marlins as a potential trade suitor for extra pool space. For an ownership group that relies on players in their pre-free agency years at the major league level, having a competitive budget to sign international prospects would seem to be an obvious strategy for a relatively minor investment.

Marlins scouts have found Dominican outfielder Marcell Ozuna, Dominican righthander Jose Urena and Cuban lefty Raudel Lazo on the cheap, and they again had to go thrift shopping in Latin America last year. Their biggest signing of the year was Dominican third baseman Alberto Sanchez (video), who signed for $85,000 in November. Sanchez, who is from Santo Domingo and turned 17 last week, also traveled with Urena to Miami for a private workout with the Marlins in May. Sanchez is 6-foot-1, 180 pounds and stood out for his righthanded hitting potential while playing in the Dominican Prospect League and training with Maximo Rombley. Sanchez has a strong, compact swing, a good hitting approach and squares up balls in games. He should become a big, physical player, so he has projectable power but he mostly works the gaps and hits line drives now. Sanchez’s value is tied up in his bat, as he would need to make significant strides to be able to stay at third base, so a lot of scouts envision him as a left fielder.

via BaseballAmerica.com: Prospects: International Affairs: International Reviews: Miami Marlins.

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