Miami Marlins 2018 Season Preview
Some men just want to watch the world burn. Those people would have enjoyed the Miami Marlins offseason, as they burned down their roster in a look to the future.
Last year, despite the moves made by the Braves and the Mets ballyhooed pitching staff, it was the Miami Marlins who finished second in the NL East. Boasting an All Star outfield, and the eventual MVP in Giancarlo Stanton, the Marlins went 77-85, not a great record, but good enough to be the runner ups in the division. The Marlins may not have been great, but they were an entertaining team to watch.
However, the Marlins were hemorrhaging money, something that Derek Jeter and the new ownership were determined to change. To achieve those goals, they made some difficult decisions, trading away virtually everything of value. The fanbase ripped into the new ownership, especially when the trades provided seemingly little in value. Loria, who was known for decimating rosters to help his bottom line, began to look good by comparison.
Heading into 2018, one may not be able to distinguish the Marlins lineup without a scorecard. That is all part of the plan – to create sustainable success for the long term. And yet, after getting rid of players like Stanton and Christian Yelich, one could understand if the Marlins fans feel alienated. Even Marlins Man has yet to renew his season tickets.
Will this teardown lead to the results the Miami Marlins are hoping for? The upcoming season may be rough, but the long term future could be bright if Jeter and company are correct.
Miami Marlins additions and subtractions
Key additions: Starlin Castro, Lewis Brinson, Monte Harrison, Cameron Maybin
Newcomer to watch: Lewis Brinson. Amazingly, after hearing about how Starlin Castro and J.T. Realmuto want to leave the Miami Marlins after their fire sale, there is one player that wants to be a part of the franchise.
The top prospect that the Marlins received in their flurry of moves, Brinson actually grew up as a Marlins fan. Being from Coral Springs, Brinson grew up idolizing players like Juan Pierre and Jeff Conine. As a consensus top 30 prospect in each of the last three years, he now has a chance to be the face of the future of the franchise, a player that younger fans can aspire towards.
However, in order to fulfill that destiny, Brinson may need some time. He looked overmatched in his brief trial with the Brewers last year, producing a .106/.236/.277 batting line, striking out 17 times in 55 plate appearances. Brinson certainly has a bright future, but at 24 years old this season, he is not a finished project. Nonetheless, he will be the face of the rebuild for the Marlins faithful.
Biggest losses: Giancarlo Stanta, Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, Dee Gordon
Biggest loss: Giancarlo Stanton. To be fair, ripping apart what may have been the most talented outfield in the game, and dumping four All Star players, would lead to virtually any of those players being a major loss.
However, the loss of Stanton may be one that the Marlins do not recover from for some time. Healthy once again, he posted a monster year, with a .281/.367/.631 batting line, hitting 59 homers and driving in 132 runs to lead the National League. He edged out Joey Votto for the MVP award, a well deserved honor despite the Marlins struggles.
Now, the Miami Marlins not only have a huge hole to fill in the lineup, but need something to sell to the fanbase. Stanton, understandably, was a fan favorite, a player that was worth the price of admission even with the Marlins were awful. In what promises to be a rough year or three in Miami, that player simply does not exist on the roster.
What to expect from the Miami Marlins in 2018
There have been a few people that have referred to the Miami Marlins as a AAA team this year. Given the state of the roster, that is not entirely wrong.
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That is not to say that the Marlins are devoid of talent. J.T. Realmuto is on his way to becoming one of the top catchers in baseball. Starlin Castro is a four time All Star and coming off another solid year in New York. Lewis Brinson is a highly regarded prospect. There are pieces there that the Marlins can build around, especially if they can convince Realmuto and Castro to be key parts of the rebuild.
The biggest hurdle that the Marlins will face comes to the pitching staff. Dan Straily is a decent starter, but he is hardly anyone’s ideal as a staff ace. Brad Zeigler is hardly a light’s out closer, although he has been effective in the role. In all of those moves, the Marlins really did not add much in the way of quality pitching prospects, limiting their future ambitions.
Of course, the unloading of payroll may not be over. The Marlins would like to move on from players like Martin Prado and Wei-Yin Chen as well, but they would need to prove that they are healthy. Should Prado perform well before the All Star Break, and Chen can show anything once he gets on the mound, they may well be traded as well.
Next: Marlins top ten prospects
The Miami Marlins have essentially ripped the roster down, hoping that their financial responsibility and trades will work out for the future. For now, the present is dark, as the Marlins may be in the running for the worst record in baseball. Prediction: Fifth place in the NL East.