Miami Marlins closer situation should cost someone their job

The ninth inning hasn’t been the source of all the problems with the 2022 Miami Marlins- but it is the problem that could cost someone their job.

If only Sunday’s loss could only be about the boxscore for the Miami Marlins.

Sure, you can argue that at the end of the day, that is all that matters. Miami lost 3-2. End of report, on to game No. 29 of 162. Certainly, I hope that is what the players inside of that visitors clubhouse were thinking as they started packing up for Phoenix and their series against the Diamondbacks.

Unfortunately though, when you consider 2022 on the whole, it can’t be that simple for this Miami Marlins team.

Before you ask, this is not just about the fact that ex-Marlins catcher Jorge Alfaro hit the game winning home run in the bottom of the ninth. I mean, of course he did. Only Lewis Brinson walking the Astros off next month in Houston would be more of a gut punch to a Marlins fanbase that has become pretty well accustomed to getting gut punched. But if it was just about that…it’s going to be a long season. Because, of course, at some point in 2022, Adam Duvall will hit a game winner for Atlanta. Starling Marte will hit a game winner for the Mets. Philadelphia will win a game thanks to J.T. Realmuto. Plus, bringing it back to Alfaro, had Miami kept him as their starting catcher going into this season, the boycott in South Florida would have rivaled the one going on in Oakland.

No, this is about the fact that the 2022 Miami Marlins have nothing resembling an answer at closer.

Which…is a pretty big problem in and of itself for a team that wanted to contend this year. Especially since this is a problem that was easily preventable and entirely predictable, since the 2021 Miami Marlins had the exact same problem. And nothing was done this offseason to fix it.  Nothing.

Were some additions to the bullpen made? Yes. Has the team decided Anthony Bass pitching with a win or a save on the line is a bad idea? Yes indeed. Has the person Miami chose to be the closer in spring training actually not closed a game yet this season due to injury? That would be yes again. Does any of that matter? That would be an emphatic and resounding no.

Because nothing Dylan Floro did last season was remotely good enough to suggest he was a playoff caliber closer. Because there were multiple free agent relievers this offseason that were clear upgrades over everyone in Miami’s bullpen. Because Craig Kimbrel was available in a trade to whoever was willing to cover his salary, and all he’s done is a record a save in all five of his chances while sporting a 1.17 ERA. Still, the decision was made to go with Floro, with Anthony Bender as the upside backup despite declining effectiveness the entire second half of 2021.

Maybe it was ignorance. Maybe it was payroll penury. Maybe it was myopia over the offseason checklist. Whatever the reason, one thing is clear. If these closer problems persist for the Miami Marlins in 2022, someone is going to lose their job over it.

Spoiler alert: team owner Bruce Sherman isn’t firing himself. That leaves the people who decided closer wasn’t the priority it really, really looked to be at the end of last season. All Sherman does is set a budget. Someone decided that Avisail Garcia and Jorge Soler together was a better use of money than one of them, Bryan De La Cruz, and Craig Kimbrel. Just the same as someone decides who gets to pitch what inning and when once the roster is put together and the games start being played. Admittedly the team is trying to play matchups more this season, and go with a committee approach. That doesn’t eliminate the danger of Sherman having a very human reaction to these repeated 9th inning failures though, or a very a business savvy one to growing customer unrest.

Someone with the Miami Marlins will be fired if these closer issues continue, and the season ends up disappointing as a result . It won’t be some random analytics staffer or scout either.