Biggest Miami Marlins Offseason Need: Starting Pitching
By Tim Boyle
The upcoming Miami Marlins offseason should include some big changes. With the new ownership in place, it’s time to improve this roster. It all starts with filling their biggest need: starting pitching.
Among everything the Miami Marlins need to improve, starting pitching is at the top. Ask most MLB teams what they desire the most and they will tell you it’s starting pitching. This is true for the Marlins. If they had a better rotation in 2017, a Wild Card berth may have been in reach.
Instead, the Marlins wasted the MVP-worthy year from Giancarlo Stanton and the nearly equally as impressive breakout campaign from Marcell Ozuna. The offense carried them for most of the year with the pitching letting them down more often than not.
Dan Straily pitched about as well as anyone could have hoped. Unfortunately, without the rest of the rotation clicking, it was a moot point. Trading for him was practically a waste although there’s always next season to make it a transaction worth their time.
The bigger success story the Marlins discovered in the rotation this season is Jose Urena. The 25-year-old will finish the year with the most wins and the best ERA. Sheltered behind the big story involving Stanton’s chase for 60 home runs is Urena’s transition from lowly reliever to successful starter. There’s no telling how much of this talent will carry over into 2018, but there is promise.
The Marlins have been let down by veterans signed via free agency for two straight years. Edinson Volquez was this season’s new culprit. In the previous year, Wei-Yin Chen was the one to scare them away from any big signings. For both of them, injuries also played a factor. Combined they will have a tough time reaching 30 starts.
Meanwhile, the other starters the Marlins used pitched far worse. Tom Koehler isn’t even with the franchise anymore. The once promising arm left arm of Adam Conley was also a huge disappointment. With no incredible prospects on the horizon, the upcoming offseason is the Marlins’ winter to get better pitching.