It may not be pretty, but Derek Jeter’s plan for the Miami Marlins makes sense.
It is easy to look at the Miami Marlins and laugh. After all, they have the worst record and run differential in the game, a team whose ineptitude is astounding. They traded away a literal All Star outfield in Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, and Christian Yelich, along with Dee Gordon and J.T. Realmuto, over the past two seasons. In return, they received a lot of bodies, but little in terms of elite talent.
This year’s disaster comes on the heels of a horrendous first season for the current ownership. Last year, the Marlins were 63-98, the fourth worst record in the game. Their run differential, at -220, was better than only the woeful Baltimore Orioles. As difficult as it may be to imagine, the Marlins have taken a step backwards from that performance.
And yet, that was exactly what needed to happen. Jeter had stated that the Marlins financial model under former owner Jeffrey Loria was unsustainable, which required some difficult decisions to be made. Those moves, as much as they may have irked the fanbase, have already come to pass.
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Obviously, that left the Marlins major league roster bereft of talent, especially on the offensive side. The Marlins rank last in runs, doubles, homers, and OPS in the National League. There are pieces on the pitching side, particularly with Caleb Smith, but Neil Walker and Jorge Alfaro are the only pieces of the lineup with an OPS+ over 100.
Again, that is a part of the plan. After watching teams like the Nationals and Astros gut their rosters to land the top overall picks of the MLB Draft, the Marlins have done the same. The crowds are low, the product on the field is mediocre at best, and the losses keep piling up. Nonetheless, that may be the only way to build for the future.
Jeter may continually claim that he wants the Marlins to be competitive this season. And he may claim that the team needs to show improvement now. It all sounds good in theory, but in reality, those improvements are going to take time. Jeter has to know this.
And so, the Marlins will continue to do what they have been. They will pile up loss after loss, targeting those top selections in the draft. Meanwhile, they will work the international free agent market, looking to add more top prospects to Victor Victor Mesa.
Miami is expected to be amongst the most aggressive teams in international free agency this upcoming signing period, and are linked to two top 30 players – Venezuelan shortstop Jose Salas and Dominican shortstop Junior Sanchez. In addition, the seventh ranked player, shortstop Yidi Cappe, has a picture with a Marlins cap. Could that be a sign?
The Miami Marlins are doing exactly what they need to do right now. It may hurt in the short term, but the long term payoff could be worth it.