2019 Spring Training Starts

[fish16]

I really think our rotation is going to be better than OK as long as we dont force chen in there and get rid of straily soon.

[Nick]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. None of these guys have done it over a full season and while there was a lot of encouraging signs from these guys last year, they didnt exactly set the world on fire. They've been great in spring training, but it's still just spring training.

[dim]

The rotation is a LOT of #4 pitchers with a few having potential to maybe reach #3 status. Individually they could all be back end starters on playoff teams. Together it is going to be an average to below average crew.

Brian Anderson is the best hitter in the lineup right now, which is a problem (although I do like Anderson long-term). Bullpen is also a question, but history shows the Marlins have had better bullpens starting a bunch of journeymen and know names than grabbing real pitchers.

Either way it is quite clear this is a 100 loss team or at the very least close to it.

It's going to be interesting to see who this Marlins team ends up sending as an All-Star representative. I don't think there's an obvious name in the group.

I do think Nick Neidert is gonna be the big attention grabber this season whenever he is called up. I hope they don't rush him, but I think he's gonna pitch so well to start things off in AAA that they're gonna have no choice but to bring him up in June.

- - - - - - - - - -

I do want to point out that it is definitely time to be concerned with Brinson. He is only 24 years old, and at this age there are many guys still trying to make a name for themselves in the minors. But he's a toolsy player and the Marlins knew that when they traded for him. The hope was these tools would all develop and he'd become an uber star in the likes of a Mike Trout type. His trajectory is concerning. He clearly regressed as a hitter last year and let the mental part of his game take over. There's a line you eventually reach where potential is going to have to translate into production. I think the team is going to give Brinson 2 more years (among those years they may bring him up or down the minors depending on his play).

It is only his 2nd season, but it's a really important one for Brinson. He's gotta produce a .340+ OBP/.700+ OPS to be worth playing everyday. I'm still shocked, regardless of how bad the team was last year, he was able to sneak in 382 at bats in the majors with a .578 OPS. Even as a plus defender, that is atrocious.

[fish16]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. None of these guys have done it over a full season and while there was a lot of encouraging signs from these guys last year, they didnt exactly set the world on fire. They've been great in spring training, but it's still just spring training.

Absolutely, and the bats aren’t there yet anyways, I just think people are underrating the SP. even though none of them are aces there is definitely something to be said about having a rotation with 5 really solid pitchers and no holes like we’ve had in our rotation for years

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I also think it might be time to start thinking of a few of these guys as future 3’s with the chance to become #2 guys, although those distinctions are just semantics, specifically Caleb smith and Lopez with Richards having slightly less potential because of the lack of a fastball despite the elite changeup. If the reports are true though that he added a legitimate 3rd pitch to go with the elite changeuo that could also be a game changer. Alcantara I see as a #3/4 capable of being dominant some nights and awful others just because of the inconsistent command. Regardless, as I’ve been saying for over a year now, this teams SP moving forward looks really promising, now we just have to hope the bats we drafted last year develop and maybe we can get a fast rising college bat this year at 4.

Depending on how we address the lineup between now and next year I can definitely see this team hanging in the wild card race as early as next year just given the pitching we already have up here and the depth and reinforcements we have coming in the next 2 years

[tjfla]

IDK how we're going to give enough playing time to all of these guys, namely O'Brien, Cooper, and Dean. It would seem that one of those guys will start in NOLA unless Prado starts the year on the DL

- - - - - - - - - -

If we carry 12 hitters, that is:

C- Alfaro/ Holaday or Wallach
1b- Walker
2b- Castro
SS- Rojas and Riddle
3b- Anderson and Prado
LF- Granderson
CF- Brinson
RF- ? O'Brien, Cooper, Dean?

Bench- Wallach or Holaday, Prado, Rojas or Riddle, 1 of the 2 guys who don't win the last OF job. So it pretty much just comes down to which of the 3 guys is left off the roster.

Herrera is the only guy who has to be DFA.O'Brien,Cooper,Dean all can be sent down which makes it alot easier. Hearing Cooper probably makes the ML team

Bigger issue is what the hell do they do in AAA? Tons of depth

OF-Ramirez,Guerrero,Monte,Sierra,Dean,Brian Miller all are gonna need AB's
1B Alvarez/?

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Worst beat writer with a tweet

Joe Frisaro
Verified account @JoeFrisaro
39m39 minutes ago

Random thought of day: If #Marlins made Miguel Rojas available on trade market, a line of at least 10 projected contending teams would form. Challenge to trade Miggy is clubs hesitate already trading prospects. They’d have to make it worthwhile for Miami to listen.

Yes 10 teams would line up but the issue is Rojas doesn't have much value around the league. Brigman is being groomed as UT guy so Rojas won't be here much longer. Rojas,Straily,Prado,Chen are ALL guys we would love to trade but fact is first 2 have NO value and last 2 have terrible contracts

- - - - - - - - - -

The rotation is a LOT of #4 pitchers with a few having potential to maybe reach #3 status. Individually they could all be back end starters on playoff teams. Together it is going to be an average to below average crew.

Brian Anderson is the best hitter in the lineup right now, which is a problem (although I do like Anderson long-term). Bullpen is also a question, but history shows the Marlins have had better bullpens starting a bunch of journeymen and know names than grabbing real pitchers.

Either way it is quite clear this is a 100 loss team or at the very least close to it.

It's going to be interesting to see who this Marlins team ends up sending as an All-Star representative. I don't think there's an obvious name in the group.

I do think Nick Neidert is gonna be the big attention grabber this season whenever he is called up. I hope they don't rush him, but I think he's gonna pitch so well to start things off in AAA that they're gonna have no choice but to bring him up in June.

- - - - - - - - - -

I do want to point out that it is definitely time to be concerned with Brinson. He is only 24 years old, and at this age there are many guys still trying to make a name for themselves in the minors. But he's a toolsy player and the Marlins knew that when they traded for him. The hope was these tools would all develop and he'd become an uber star in the likes of a Mike Trout type. His trajectory is concerning. He clearly regressed as a hitter last year and let the mental part of his game take over. There's a line you eventually reach where potential is going to have to translate into production. I think the team is going to give Brinson 2 more years (among those years they may bring him up or down the minors depending on his play).

It is only his 2nd season, but it's a really important one for Brinson. He's gotta produce a .340+ OBP/.700+ OPS to be worth playing everyday. I'm still shocked, regardless of how bad the team was last year, he was able to sneak in 382 at bats in the majors with a .578 OPS. Even as a plus defender, that is atrocious.

Highly unlikely!! Neidert and Gallen are NOT on the 40 man roster and the plan is to keep them both in AAA all year. Have heard they may call up Gallen as a RP later in year BUT only if he has a bad season as SP.

Neidert,Gallen,Dugger are NOT on 40 man
Yamamoto,Guzman,Brigham are but more likely RP
Elieser,Noesi,Sandy are the most likely guys to get called up if SP needed

They are dying to trade Straily and have no clue what they are doing with Chen. Rotation plan is

Urena
Straily
Pablo
Richards
Chen/Sandy?
Caleb Smith(few rehab starts)

They don't wanna burn guys options/years if they don't have to especially since have a 40 man crunch next year.Unlike last FO these guys understand baseball

[tjfla]

This is what they want there Current Staff to look like at Opening Day

Urena
Straily
Chen
Pablo
Richards

Brice
Garcia
Conley
Tayron
Ferrell
Steck
Romo

10 DL-Caleb Smith(Rehab Starts-2 weeks behind)
60 DL-Fernandez

AAA-Sandy

Then 2 weeks figure everything out. Call up Smith,move Chen to pen and try to sneak Brice thru DFA. They like Sandy but think he needs to work on stuff still which is why he is 1 in AAA

[Nick]

I don't know if you've been keeping track of the games tj, but Smith doesn't need any rehab starts. He looks more ready than most pitchers for the regular season. I do agree Sandy probably starts in AAA.

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Also, there's no way Neidert spends the whole year in AAA, barring injury or just terrible performance. This FO doesn't have that kind of patience.

[tjfla]

I don't know if you've been keeping track of the games tj, but Smith doesn't need any rehab starts. He looks more ready than most pitchers for the regular season.

O I am well aware but they already have a full staff and can't send Chen or Straily anywhere. Buys them 2 weeks if u put him on DL and give him "rehab" starts

Very Marlin thing to do. Waste an option year to get Neidert pitching in Sept for no reason. If he was on 40 Man already he would be totally up

For 1000 time-2019 means NOTHING. They arent looking to win games,arent looking to waste guys options and certainly arent gonna put guys on the 40 man just to put them on.

They are gonna do everything they can to get an idea who will be here next year and tank for Top 3 Pick.

[rmc523]

The rotation is a LOT of #4 pitchers with a few having potential to maybe reach #3 status. Individually they could all be back end starters on playoff teams. Together it is going to be an average to below average crew.

Brian Anderson is the best hitter in the lineup right now, which is a problem (although I do like Anderson long-term). Bullpen is also a question, but history shows the Marlins have had better bullpens starting a bunch of journeymen and know names than grabbing real pitchers.

Either way it is quite clear this is a 100 loss team or at the very least close to it.

It's going to be interesting to see who this Marlins team ends up sending as an All-Star representative. I don't think there's an obvious name in the group.

I do think Nick Neidert is gonna be the big attention grabber this season whenever he is called up. I hope they don't rush him, but I think he's gonna pitch so well to start things off in AAA that they're gonna have no choice but to bring him up in June.

- - - - - - - - - -

I do want to point out that it is definitely time to be concerned with Brinson. He is only 24 years old, and at this age there are many guys still trying to make a name for themselves in the minors. But he's a toolsy player and the Marlins knew that when they traded for him. The hope was these tools would all develop and he'd become an uber star in the likes of a Mike Trout type. His trajectory is concerning. He clearly regressed as a hitter last year and let the mental part of his game take over. There's a line you eventually reach where potential is going to have to translate into production. I think the team is going to give Brinson 2 more years (among those years they may bring him up or down the minors depending on his play).

It is only his 2nd season, but it's a really important one for Brinson. He's gotta produce a .340+ OBP/.700+ OPS to be worth playing everyday. I'm still shocked, regardless of how bad the team was last year, he was able to sneak in 382 at bats in the majors with a .578 OPS. Even as a plus defender, that is atrocious.

I'd guess Castro or Anderson unless someone else has a big first half that you can't ignore.

[Nick]

I'd guess Castro or Anderson unless someone else has a big first half that you can't ignore.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Caleb Smith is our one all-star representative. The two you mention are probably the safest bets, I agree.

- - - - - - - - - -

For 1000 time-2019 means NOTHING. They arent looking to win games,arent looking to waste guys options and certainly arent gonna put guys on the 40 man just to put them on.

They are gonna do everything they can to get an idea who will be here next year and tank for Top 3 Pick.

This is the same FO that handled Brinson last year?

[fauowls44]

This is what they want there Current Staff to look like at Opening Day

Urena
Straily
Chen
Pablo
Richards

Brice
Garcia
Conley
Tayron
Ferrell
Steck
Romo

10 DL-Caleb Smith(Rehab Starts-2 weeks behind)
60 DL-Fernandez

AAA-Sandy

Then 2 weeks figure everything out. Call up Smith,move Chen to pen and try to sneak Brice thru DFA. They like Sandy but think he needs to work on stuff still which is why he is 1 in AAA

Garcia was just optioned to AAA, so that would seem to indicate Chen being in the pen to start the year if he's on the roster.

[Nick]

Garcia was just optioned to AAA, so that would seem to indicate Chen being in the pen to start the year if he's on the roster.

tj's janitor friend letting us down again.

[lou]

Garcia was just optioned to AAA, so that would seem to indicate Chen being in the pen to start the year if he's on the roster.

Yep, and that looks like they are going to carry 6 righties in the bullpen versus a 5/3 split.

Romo, Steck, Guerrero, Ferrell, and Brice are all OOO so I think they start there, and this may mean they intend to put Sandy in there. Which I am fine with. I guess could be a Straily demotion. The alternative is Noesi, Anderson, or Kinley who all seem to be getting the most other innings in spring training. It's not like any of them would likely tip the scales.

Hard to see how Richards, Pablo, and Ca. Smith aren't in the initial rotation. They are in serious business of one of them turns into a legitimate #3 with Sixto, free agency money, and Neidert coming. Plus Urena is controlled for a bit.

This could really set up the Sandy bullpen conversion.

[Nick]

This could really set up the Sandy bullpen conversion.

It's way too early for this IMO.

[lou]

It's way too early for this IMO.

For sure, but if those 3 stick, it's going to get really competitive very fast. That's all I'm saying.