MLB Team Report – Miami Marlins – INSIDE PITCH
The Marlins opened camp with a company line: No more talking to media about the offseason roster implosion that replaced underachieving All Stars with inexperienced but promising players.
By replacing a $100 million roster with one that might not top $40 million, owner Jeffrey Loria will stem his financial losses. But even his own players acknowledge that the Marlins in 2013 can expect to suffer both in attendance and in the standings.
“We have lot of young talented guys who probably will be household names probably in the next three to four years, but they’re going to have to take some lumps,” said veteran outfielder Juan Pierre.
The Marlins will open the season with as many uncertainties as they had when camp opened. In fact, they went into the final week of camp still looking outside the organization for bullpen and bench help.
Slugger Giancarlo Stanton might be the main (only?) reason to watch the Marlins, but even he will have his challenges. The Marlins still lack a bonafide clean-up hitter capable of protecting Stanton, who will have a tough time getting the pitches he needs to match the 37 home runs he hit in 2012.
Ideally, first baseman Logan Morrison would be that left-handed power bat in the clean-up spot, but he won’t be ready until May at the earliest as he continues recovering from a second knee surgery last September.
As of the final week in camp, veteran Placido Polanco was being tried out in the fourth spot, even though he hit cleanup in just seven of his 7,471 plate appearances over his 15-year career.
The lineup includes at least three rookies (catcher Rob Brantly, shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria and second baseman Donovan Solano) who opened the 2012 season in the minors. It also includes journeyman trying to hang on — Pierre, Polanco and Casey Kotchman.
The bigger issue is the rotation. After Ricky Nolasco, it lacks proven depth and experience.
Right-hander Kevin Slowey, who hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2011, and soft throwing left-hander Wade LeBlanc, who was used mostly as a long reliever last year, earned the final two starting jobs.
Jon Rauch was signed to add depth to the back of the bullpen, and Steve Cishek for the first time starts off a season as closer.
The best part of the season could come in June when outfielder Christian Yelich and right-hander Jose Fernandez are expected to be called up from Double-A.
“Maybe we don’t have the experience but we’re young enough to be maybe dumb enough to go out there and win some games and score runs and play fearless baseball,” said outfielder Justin Ruggiano.
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MLB Team Report – Miami Marlins – NOTES, QUOTES
–C Miguel Olivo, released by the Reds on March 28, signed with the Marlins the same day. He will back up Rob Brantly. Olivo got a one-year, $800,000 deal from Miami, the Sun-Sentinel reported.
Olivo, 34, batted .222 with 12 homers and 29 RBI in 87 games for the Mariners in 2012.
–RHP Kevin Slowey earned the fifth spot in the Marlins’ rotation. The veteran beat out RHP Jacob Turner, who was sent to the minors, and fellow veteran John Maine. Slowey had a 2.63 ERA in Cactus League play through March 26, while Turner had a 9.69 ERA this spring.
–RHP Chad Qualls captured a spot in the Marlins’ bullpen. A non-roster invitee, the 34-year-old posted a 2.70 ERA in 6 2/3 Grapefruit League innings through March 26.
–LHP Wade LeBlanc will open the season in Miami’s rotation, according to manager Mike Redmond, giving the Marlins one left-hander. Redmond said LeBlanc might start the third game of the season. He has a 4.74 ERA in 19 Grapefruit League innings, allowing 10 earned runs on 20 hits. He has struck out 15 and walked three. The Marlins like the idea of slotting LeBlanc, who relies more on location than velocity, behind hard-throwing RHP Nathan Eovaldi, who will be Miami’s No. 2 starter.
–RHP Jacob Turner had a rough spring: Through March 25, he gave up 14 earned runs on 18 hits and nine walks over 13 innings for a 9.69 ERA. As of the final week of spring, all signs pointed to Turner opening the season at Triple-A New Orleans.
–2B Donovan Solano, out with a sore back since March 20, hopes to return to action by March 28. An MRI showed no structural damage. “We’re hopeful he’s on board for the start of the season,” manager Mike Redmond said. That’s the guy we need in the lineup and kind of helps make that whole lineup come together.”
–OF Matt Diaz, recently released by the Yankees, agreed to a minor league contract with the Marlins, according to multiple media reports. If he passes his physical March 26, Diaz would have a shot at making Miami’s Opening Day roster. He went 6-for-30 with no extra-base hits for New York this spring. Diaz, 35, hit .222 with two homers for the Braves last year.
–The team signed Wilson Valdez to a minor league contract with an invitation to the big league camp March 23, hoping to add more bench depth.
Valdez, 34, was released by the Giants on Friday. He has played seven seasons, including 77 games for the Reds a year ago, where he batted .206. His best season was 2010 when he played in 111 games for Philadelphia and hit .258. He has played 223 games at shortstop and 127 at second base during his big league career.
“We brought him in just to see if there is a fit with what we’ve got,” manager Mike Redmond said. “We’re always trying to better the team. He could give us some depth.”
–CF Christian Yelich, the organization’s top prospect, will open the season at Double-A Jacksonville after being cut from major league camp on March 22. Yelich, a first-round pick in 2010 who never played above the Class A level, batted .364 with five home runs and 14 RBI.
BY THE NUMBERS: 444 — Minor league games for C Kyle Skipworth, Miami’s first-round draft pick (sixth overall) in 2010. Skipworth could make his major league debut on Opening Day,
QUOTE TO NOTE: “These guys are so young, they think Red is old.” — LF Juan Pierre, on the Marlins’ roster under rookie manager Mike Redmond, who is the youngest manager (41) in the National League. Only Houston’s Bo Porter (40) is younger.
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MLB Team Report – Miami Marlins – ROSTER REPORT
The Marlins have all kinds of challenges this year. They will open the season with starting 1B Logan Morrison (right knee) and backup C Jeff Mathis (fractured collarbone) on the disabled list. They’re counting on unproven players such as C Rob Brantly, SS Adeiny Hechavarria and RHP Nathan Eovaldi to make major strides. With a lack of depth in the rotation, RHP Ricky Nolasco needs to log 200 innings and win more games than he loses.
ROTATION:
1. RHP Ricky Nolasco
2. RHP Nathan Eovaldi
3. LHP Wade LeBlanc
4. RHP Henderson Alvarez
5. RHP Kevin Slowey
The Marlins will surprise if their starters take big steps, but that might be asking too much in 2013. Only Nolasco and Alvarez logged more than 180 innings last year. Slowey, a non-roster invitee, opens the season in a rotation for the first time since 2011.
LeBlanc, Miami’s only left-hander who relies on location, will probably slot third only because Eovaldi is such a hard thrower. RHP Jacob Turner, who came to camp penciled in as the No. 2 starter, looked awful in spring. He will open the season at Triple-A New Orleans.
BULLPEN:
RHP Steve Cishek
RHP Jon Rauch
RHP Ryan Webb
LHP Mike Dunn
RHP AJ Ramos
RHP Chad Qualls
RHP John Maine
This is the best guess going into the final week of camp. There was still lots of uncertainty in the bullpen, with the possibility that one or two relievers might not even be with the team yet because they might arrive after being cut from other teams.
Cishek opens the year for the first time as the team’s closer. He worked all spring on his changeup, which he struggled with last year. Webb was hit hard most of the spring. Ramos, a hard-throwing rookie, looked good all spring, posting a 2.89 ERA as of March 26.
Dunn will bear the load of facing left-handed hitters.
LINEUP:
1. LF Juan Pierre
2. 3B Placido Polanco
3. RF Giancarlo Stanton
4. 1B Casey Kotchman
5. CF Justin Ruggiano
6. C Rob Brantly
7. 2B Donovan Solano
8. SS Adeiny Hechavarria
“We’re going to have a lot of different guys probably hitting in a lot of different spots,” manager Mike Redmond said of his batting order.
The Marlins lack a bona fide cleanup hitter to offer protection for Giancarlo Stanton, who will have to display more patience than ever in his career. Stanton will bat third so Miami can use its best hitter in the first inning, but it might be tough to repeat the 37 home runs he hit last year.
Miami will likely mix and match in the cleanup spot until someone emerges. For now, Redmond likely will fill it with a left-handed hitter. But in the final week of camp, he was trying Polanco, who has seven at-bats from the cleanup spot in his 15-year career. At 35, Pierre will be counted on for his speed.
RESERVES:
INF Greg Dobbs
OF Chris Coghlan
INF Chris Valaika
C Miguel Olivo
OF Austin Kearns or OF Matt Diaz
Kearns was batting .094 as of March 25, the same day the team signed Diaz. Olivo arrived in the final week of spring training after he was released by the Reds.
MEDICAL WATCH:
–2B Donovan Solano (sore lower back) was hoping to return to action by March 28 after missing a week of action. There’s a chance he won’t be ready for Opening Day.
–1B/LF Logan Morrison (right knee surgery in September 2012) hopes to run on flat ground for the first time April 1. He hopes to play in rehab games by mid-April, but there’s no timetable for his return.
–RHP Jose Ceda (Tommy John surgery in April 2012) threw off the mound for the first time in late January, and he threw live batting practice Feb. 24.
–C Jeff Mathis (broken collarbone) was hurt Feb. 23. He is out until early May.
