Following a wholly expected 57-105, last-place finish in the National League East last season, the Miami Marlins underwent a major overhaul this winter. Whether it results in a more productive 2020 campaign is anyone’s guess, but things can’t get much worse.
Gone are core pieces Curtis Granderson (retired), Neil Walker, Martin Prado, Wei-Yin Chen, (all via free agency), and Starlin Castro (option declined). Relievers Austin Brice, Kyle Keller, and Easton Lucas were traded to the Red Sox, Angels, and Orioles, respectively, as were third baseman James Nelson (Yankees) and utility man Austin Dean (Cardinals).
Talk about turnover. Though, as has been the tradition in South Florida for many years, this is simply the way this organization operates. Regardless of who’s in the owner’s box, even when they were still the Florida Marlins (rest in peace), they move out assets for prospects, hope for the best, usually find success, and repeat the cycle. It’s almost uncanny.
Marlins part-owner, CEO, and 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Derek Jeter is surely hoping that lightning will strike for a third time on South Beach in the coming years
Right-hander Sixto Sanchez (22nd-ranked prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline; acquired in the J.T. Realmuto deal), outfielder Jesus Sanchez (51st; acquired from Tampa Bay last July in Nick Anderson, Trevor Richards trade), shortstop Jazz Chisholm (54th), and outfielder Monte Harrison (83rd; acquired in Christian Yelich deal) are all set to hit The Show this season. And there are plenty more blue-chips on the way.
In order to get the above-referenced youngsters ready for prime-time, Jeets & Co. have done their best to fill out the roster with experienced and — most importantly — economically reasonable veterans.
JT Riddle is back in Miami on a major-league free-agent deal. Relievers Brandon Kintzler and Yimi Garcia, outfielders Matt Joyce and Corey Dickerson, and catcher Francisco Cervelli signed major-league contracts with the club, as well.
Miami brought in ambidextrous reliever Pat Venditte and outfielder Matt Kemp (as well as a host of others) on minor-league deals, claimed Jesus Aguilar off waivers from Tampa Bay and traded for former Orioles’ standout Jonathan Villar and Yankees’ reliever Stephen Tarpley.
Incumbents Jorge Alfaro, Garrett Cooper, Isan Diaz, Miguel Rojas, Lewis Brinson, and Magneuris Sierra now have a decent amount of actual major league depth around them, which could be a boon for Miami.
The Marlins’ expected starting-five of Caleb Smith, Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, Jordan Yamamoto, and Elieser Hernandez has the potential to be a solid group (Alcantara, 3.88 ERA in 2019; Yamamoto, 4.46; Smith, 4.52), and the added depth of Jose Urena and Robert Dugger, who could both see time in relief as well, should bode well for an unproven staff.
And the bullpen — headed up by Kintzler, Tarpley, Garcia, Ryne Stanek, and Adam Conley — has upside, too. Quite the glow-up, Fish.
While the Marlins might not be the punching bags they were last season, there’s not a ton of hope they can jump into the fray in what’s expected to be a tightly-contested and uber-talented NL East this season. We have seen wilder things happen, though.
