Why the Miami Marlins will never get to prominence again

There are 30 MLB teams and each one is unique in their own right. Of those 30 teams, however, the Miami Marlins are in trouble and nothing currently happening is helping.

In 1993, the baseball world was first introduced to the Colorado Rockies and the then Florida Marlins (now Miami Marlins).

Each team stunk. Rightfully so, because it is a near rarity to be a good team in your first year when you’re building from scratch.

Years later, however, the Marlins would accomplish a feat faster than any professional sports team in the era of expansion. They would win the World Series in 1997; five years after they joined the league.

This was the fastest an expansion team would reach and win the World Series until the Arizona Diamondbacks accomplished the feat in four years in 2001.

Then the Marlins would win it all again in 2003. However, their win in ’03 felt different; almost as if it was an accident.

After the conclusion of the 1997 season, there was dysfunction in the ownership and several key pieces from the club were dismantled and shipped off to other teams. As you would have guessed, the Marlins were not good.

Their records the years in between each World Series – 1998 to 2002 – were as follows:

54-108

64-98

79-82

76-86

79-83

To simplify history, SB Nation, in their Collapse video series, chronicled the 1997 Marlins:

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After their 2003 World Series, they have total just four winning seasons in a 16-year span.

Since becoming the Miami Marlins in 2012, They have a combined record of 498-634. That’s an average record of 71-91.

But why have they been so bad?

The Marlins have had talent; talent that they drafted and brought to the big leagues: Miguel Cabrera, Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, Christian Yelich and Josh Beckett to name a few.

So it may not be a question of their draft selections and development, because clearly, that has been effective in its own right.

The problem for the Marlins has been how they handle their monetary expenses, treatment of players, fans and the city and their inherent ability to just never be good.

Every time the Marlins get to a point where they may be able to compete, it is almost scary to the front office.

The thought process must be they are running scared because their best talent gets shipped off for young prospects who, for the most part, never truly pan out.

The biggest names acquired in trades to replace some of the aforementioned were Cameron Maybin – a journeyman with no notable accomplishments, Lewis Brinson – recently optioned to Triple-A, and Garrett Cooper – injury struggles and poor performance since being acquired.

Some did pay off, however. Henderson Alvarez threw one of the franchises few no-hitters. Starlin Castro has been a necessary part of recent Miami Marlins teams and he gets to play every day.

When the Derek Jeter conglomerate bought the team a few years ago, the most notable things that have happened under the regime are the trades of Stanton, Ozuna, Yelich and Realmuto, the removal of a centerfield statue and the change in uniform design and logo.

All while the payroll continues to fluctuate at the bottom of the league. This season it is at $76.1 million, third-lowest of 2019.

So what has to happen in order for this team to actually feel like a competitor and not a footnote? The first option is obvious but stable ownership.

Right now that appears to be the case. I’m not saying Jeter is the greatest owner but he seems to have a better grasp of things than previous ownership.

The problem is that Jeter is immediately cutting high contracts but they just happen to also be their most talented players. This gives off the vibe that the team is quitting, giving up, tanking, etc.

Jeter will never admit that to the public given his Bryant Gumbel interview where he repeatedly stated he ‘expects them to compete.’

Starting 2019 off with only nine wins through a month is not a message that says the team is competing.

If anything is going to change to help push the Marlins in a positive direction, rebuild the fanbase that they very easily destroyed, and change the perception to the rest of the league; commissioner Rob Manfred needs to step in.

The man who wants so much change for the league should take note of the poor performance of one the league’s 30 competitors. What better way to make a statement than to make sure that the Marlins aren’t throwing in the towel every game one of 162.

This doesn’t mean Jeter relinquishes ownership but allows Manfred to help map out a plan of success, rather than a plan that perennially results in failure.

How soon could something like this happen? How long until the Miami Marlins reach 81 wins again? How many more owners will it take before the Marlins are in Miami no more?

There is no greater frustration than the lackluster performance of the home town club, and if this generation has taught us anything, only winning can bring a team back into the limelight.