Tweet
By Juan C. Rodriguez, Sun Sentinel
5:29 p.m. EST, February 12, 2011
The departures of Jorge Cantu and Cody Ross late last season marked the beginning of an extensive makeover for the Florida Marlins that continued through the offseason.
As many as five new position players are projected to be in the lineup when the Marlins play their final season opener at Sun Life Stadium on April 1 against the Mets. In franchise history, 1998 and 2006 marked the only lineups that had more than five new players (seven) from the previous Opening Day.
The Marlins' moves weren't limited to position players. The bullpen will look significantly different with the addition of some young, power arms. An already capable rotation became even deeper when the Marlins signed veteran free agent Javier Vazquez.
Can Chris Coghlan transition to center?
Coghlan won't be one of the new faces in the Opening Day lineup, but he will be in a different spot. After switching from second base to left field and learning the position on the fly in 2009, Coghlan now replaces Cameron Maybin in the middle. The planned move raised plenty of eyebrows around the game. Pundits questioned whether Coghlan coming off knee surgery could cover enough ground in expansive Sun Life Stadium. Neither manager Edwin Rodriguez nor the front office share similar concerns. They point to Coghlan's willingness to make the move and the manner in which he worked himself into a serviceable left fielder. One thing to watch is how effectively Coghlan and novice left fielder Logan Morrison, both of whom are ultra aggressive.
Is Matt Dominguez ready to take over third base?
The Marlins will give top prospect Dominguez every opportunity to win the Opening Day third base job. Questions about his readiness stem from his bat, not his glove. Dominguez sooner or later will become the club's best defensive third baseman since Mike Lowell. He has soft hands, a strong, accurate arm, and he'll only get better under the direction of infield coach Perry Hill, who the Marlins brought back last offseason. Offensively, Dominguez is not inept but he didn't dominate the Double-A Southern League in 2010. The Marlins are encouraged by the fact Dominguez batted 27 points higher in the second half and.296 with three homers and eight RBI in the playoffs.
How much better are the Marlins defensively?
Paramount to why the Marlins haven't come close to a postseason berth in seven years is poor defense. Since 2006, they've averaged 122 errors a season, including a franchise-record 137 in 2007. They worked on it plenty, but bottom line is the Marlins didn't have enough difference-makers on defense. Many of the Marlins' offseason moves were made with an eye toward improved fielding. Free agent acquisition John Buck is strong defensively and is lauded for his ability to work with pitchers. Dominguez assuming he's the guy at third is a huge upgrade over Jorge Cantu. Omar Infante won't produce the same offense as Dan Uggla, but he's markedly better with the glove. Morrison and Coghlan are playing out of position, but Stanton in right could be the next Marlin to win a Gold Glove.
Will the bullpen be a strength in 2011?
Because of injuries and performance issues, the Marlins used 25 different relievers last season. They lost 15 times when leading or tied after six innings. Particularly early in the season, starters not pitching deep enough into games contributed to the bullpen struggles, but closer Leo Nunez sputtered late and the Marlins did not have any consistent contributions from left-handers. The club addressed the bullpen mainly through trade. They acquired right-handers Edward Mujica and Ryan Webb from the Padres, and lefty Mike Dunn from the Braves in the Dan Uggla deal. Both Webb and Dunn have power arms and closer's stuff. The Marlins' also signed lefty specialist Randy Choate to a two-year, free agent contract.
Is the Marlins' rotation deep enough to compete in the National League East?
Top starters Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco finished the season on the sidelines. Both are 100 percent. Johnson won the NL ERA title in 2010 and Nolasco has good enough stuff to be an 18-game winner. Anibal Sanchez achieved his goal of an injury-free 2010, making 32 starts and posting a 3.55 ERA. Chris Volstad required a demotion to the minors for the second straight year, but he won four of his last six outings. The big addition is free agent Javier Vazquez. It would be great if he reprised his 2009 campaign with the Braves (15-10, 2.87), but his arrival means the Marlins won't have to dip as far down into their system when the need for starting pitching arises.
5:29 p.m. EST, February 12, 2011
The departures of Jorge Cantu and Cody Ross late last season marked the beginning of an extensive makeover for the Florida Marlins that continued through the offseason.
As many as five new position players are projected to be in the lineup when the Marlins play their final season opener at Sun Life Stadium on April 1 against the Mets. In franchise history, 1998 and 2006 marked the only lineups that had more than five new players (seven) from the previous Opening Day.
The Marlins' moves weren't limited to position players. The bullpen will look significantly different with the addition of some young, power arms. An already capable rotation became even deeper when the Marlins signed veteran free agent Javier Vazquez.
Can Chris Coghlan transition to center?
Coghlan won't be one of the new faces in the Opening Day lineup, but he will be in a different spot. After switching from second base to left field and learning the position on the fly in 2009, Coghlan now replaces Cameron Maybin in the middle. The planned move raised plenty of eyebrows around the game. Pundits questioned whether Coghlan coming off knee surgery could cover enough ground in expansive Sun Life Stadium. Neither manager Edwin Rodriguez nor the front office share similar concerns. They point to Coghlan's willingness to make the move and the manner in which he worked himself into a serviceable left fielder. One thing to watch is how effectively Coghlan and novice left fielder Logan Morrison, both of whom are ultra aggressive.
Is Matt Dominguez ready to take over third base?
The Marlins will give top prospect Dominguez every opportunity to win the Opening Day third base job. Questions about his readiness stem from his bat, not his glove. Dominguez sooner or later will become the club's best defensive third baseman since Mike Lowell. He has soft hands, a strong, accurate arm, and he'll only get better under the direction of infield coach Perry Hill, who the Marlins brought back last offseason. Offensively, Dominguez is not inept but he didn't dominate the Double-A Southern League in 2010. The Marlins are encouraged by the fact Dominguez batted 27 points higher in the second half and.296 with three homers and eight RBI in the playoffs.
How much better are the Marlins defensively?
Paramount to why the Marlins haven't come close to a postseason berth in seven years is poor defense. Since 2006, they've averaged 122 errors a season, including a franchise-record 137 in 2007. They worked on it plenty, but bottom line is the Marlins didn't have enough difference-makers on defense. Many of the Marlins' offseason moves were made with an eye toward improved fielding. Free agent acquisition John Buck is strong defensively and is lauded for his ability to work with pitchers. Dominguez assuming he's the guy at third is a huge upgrade over Jorge Cantu. Omar Infante won't produce the same offense as Dan Uggla, but he's markedly better with the glove. Morrison and Coghlan are playing out of position, but Stanton in right could be the next Marlin to win a Gold Glove.
Will the bullpen be a strength in 2011?
Because of injuries and performance issues, the Marlins used 25 different relievers last season. They lost 15 times when leading or tied after six innings. Particularly early in the season, starters not pitching deep enough into games contributed to the bullpen struggles, but closer Leo Nunez sputtered late and the Marlins did not have any consistent contributions from left-handers. The club addressed the bullpen mainly through trade. They acquired right-handers Edward Mujica and Ryan Webb from the Padres, and lefty Mike Dunn from the Braves in the Dan Uggla deal. Both Webb and Dunn have power arms and closer's stuff. The Marlins' also signed lefty specialist Randy Choate to a two-year, free agent contract.
Is the Marlins' rotation deep enough to compete in the National League East?
Top starters Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco finished the season on the sidelines. Both are 100 percent. Johnson won the NL ERA title in 2010 and Nolasco has good enough stuff to be an 18-game winner. Anibal Sanchez achieved his goal of an injury-free 2010, making 32 starts and posting a 3.55 ERA. Chris Volstad required a demotion to the minors for the second straight year, but he won four of his last six outings. The big addition is free agent Javier Vazquez. It would be great if he reprised his 2009 campaign with the Braves (15-10, 2.87), but his arrival means the Marlins won't have to dip as far down into their system when the need for starting pitching arises.
Comment