2023 Game Thread

[lou]

Hopefully this fuels their rage next year. But wow what a terrible way to end after a magical year.

[fish16]

What do you suggest we should’ve done differently to achieve this? We clinched on game 161 and lost game 162 and ended up with the 5 spot.

I’m not saying they could have prevented it, just saying this Phillies team is far and away better than the brewers, especially in a short playoff series.

[Nick]

The idea of the Marlins in the playoffs was fun, the playoffs themselves not so much.

[Namaste]

You called it. That's how you go down with your best guys.

I needed to laugh to not cry. This was very funny.

[fish16]

You just know we’re going to find a way to score 5 runs by the end of this game now

[fish16]

Glad we saved Scott’s arm and played for game 3 in the 8th last night. Would hate to over work him this series

[fish16]

It absolutely feels like the offseason is going to start with a sandy tj announcement in the next few days

[fish16]

Jazz was fucking awful in this series

[Nick]

Fitting end. Jazz looking at one right down the middle after swinging at shit all series.

[fish16]

Lol what, why is Jorge Alfaro in our dugout?

[fish16]

On the bright side, we never have to watch Jacob stallings, Joey wendle, Johnny cueto, David Robertson, and hopefully avisail Garcia in a marlins uniform ever again

[Nick]

Lol what, why is Jorge Alfaro in our dugout?

I saw that too, that’s the reason we looked like shit.

[fish16]

I wish we had the lower level prospects to make a fuck it juan Soto trade. It feels like we need not only to retain bell, but get a legit superstar type bat at ss, c, or corner outfield on top of getting the other two positions filled with quality starters. Even if we get a guy like adames, that’s not a legit contender. We need two impact level star bats. Soler can go for all I care, I think bell opts out and re-signs for two years and a lower AAV with more guaranteed money. Sherman desperately needs to spend, but this isn’t a great free agency class and we don’t have the clout to attract a top tier guy anyways. Would never happen, but would be amazing to take mike trout and his long ass contract off the angels hand for a discount

drsfting jj bleday and Colin Moran 2.0 in Jacob berry instead of the guys that went around them will haunt this rebuild for years. Just can’t miss like that on a team that desperately needs to develop cost controlled talent and expect to win

[lou]

I wish we had the lower level prospects to make a fuck it juan Soto trade. It feels like we need not only to retain bell, but get a legit superstar type bat at ss, c, or corner outfield on top of getting the other two positions filled with quality starters. Even if we get a guy like adames, that’s not a legit contender. We need two impact level star bats. Soler can go for all I care, I think bell opts out and re-signs for two years and a lower AAV with more guaranteed money. Sherman desperately needs to spend, but this isn’t a great free agency class and we don’t have the clout to attract a top tier guy anyways. Would never happen, but would be amazing to take mike trout and his long ass contract off the angels hand for a discount

drsfting jj bleday and Colin Moran 2.0 in Jacob berry instead of the guys that went around them will haunt this rebuild for years. Just can’t miss like that on a team that desperately needs to develop cost controlled talent and expect to win

Fuck it "Juan Soto" or "Mike Trout" from the guy who says the team has to be frugal in all of its deal is quite a knee jerk reaction. You aren't wrong that they need a bunch of guys, but this is way too much with those players. It is definitely a new owner. They also can improve without them and have the resources to do it IMO. Also just to mention, if Bruce decides to say fuck it and just go for it, I think you sign Snell. It avoids trading resources, and opens up the Marlins moving a pitcher for a bat which seems more productive versus this FA bat class.

If Bell opts out, it is also a BLESSING to clear $16.5m off payroll and use that for something else. Bell is a solid guy, but they can use that money more efficiently in FA + gets Arraez to 1B and Edwards to 2B. It's fine if he stays, but doing a two year deal with him would be asinine with the better defensive arrangement they can do immediately plus have that money for a more impactful player. Bell was a .4 WAR player (in his defense, he paced closer to a 2 WAR player per 600 PA with the Marlins post trade). DLC was a .2 WAR player and Cooper a .3 WAR player for perspective. I don't see how he recoups this money in FA where he can bet on himself and get a new deal post 2025 for whatever a 2 year deal would look like now. Belt got a 1/$9.3m deal from Toronto last year as a stick for hire. Bell also is on a good spot with a contender. I'll be shocked if he opts out. The lower depth of the FA class isn't just going to get him an overreach deal IMO.

Soler ended the year with the 13th highest xwOBA (qualified hitters). That's ahead of Goldschmidt, Alonso, and Tatis. He is a priority to retain IMO as they have no chance of replicating that offensive production in any manner. I strongly feel what you said of Bell happens with Soler - he opts out and they work out a 2 year deal (low $30s), and if they don't, he gets a qualifying offer ($19) and is "stuck" just like Joc Pederson last year. This will go a long ways to start improving the team from what they have under control. Remember, all of Segura, Yuli, and Cooper's PA are being replaced effectively by Burger and Bell (and a little Edwards) and that's going to be an enormous net gain. Big picture, they ended 27th in runs. But the two month split post Bell/Burger moved them to 22nd. Jazz was back too for most of that. That isn't something to do backflips over, but that's legitimate progress so keeping Soler in the picture should maintain that as a floor.

Which gets us to yes, they need some bats. I think it is a minimum of 1,500 vastly improved PA over 3 players (which can include Soler), with one being at least a 3-4+ WAR star. I do think Adames qualifies for that (four seasons over a 3 WAR and one of those over a 4, etc.) even if he has a lot of defensive value. He's great. Hopefully Milwaukee's playoff collapse and the rise of the Cubs/Reds makes them rethink their strategy as their contending window is effectively over IMO and they need to scorch earth as they aren't as good on paper as the Cardinals below those other two. I'll be interested in seeing what they do here, but 1 control year of Adames is not great for them.


But the big question just to say it out loud is what is happening with Sandy? If he's getting a TJ, it changes the entire offseason for them. So I'm going to pause thinking what their options may be until we have some clarity there. If he is fine, this is going to be as easy as retain Soler and do everything in your power to get Adames and Danny Jansen. Resign them both (as well as Arraez, Luzardo, Eury, and Jazz) and you have a strong as hell longterm core with those 6 + Sandy, Garrett, Cabrera, Rogers, Burger, J. Sanchez, Meyer, various RP, and maybe some of the fleeting bats work out (Fortes, Edwards, Amaya, etc.). It's a sub $120m team easily. Pray for Sandy as needing 200 more quality innings on top of the desperate need for 1,500 improved PA which is going to cost a lot in trade or dollars is a lot to ask for absent a $140m payroll.

[Namaste]

Doug Eddings (ranked 84th of 92 during the regular season) was the worst home plate umpire of the night.

His correct call rate was 87.6. The league average is 92.4%.

It’s the biggest fuck job of the Marlins I’ve ever witnessed. Completely changed the dynamic of the game. Between him, Jon Berti, Harper SOMEHOW not getting tagged out and Burger’s error, we had no shot.