Miami Marlins 2018 Season Preview
By David Hill
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.