Miami Marlins 2018 Season Preview
By David Hill
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.