Buy or sell, Miami Marlins need to get a new starting center fielder

No matter what the Miami Marlins front office decides to do in the weeks ahead, one thing is certain. They must find a new center fielder.

The Miami Marlins need a new starting center fielder by the end of the month. Period.

Sadly, no clever setup or hyperbole taking place here.

This past offseason, the Marlins made the choice to go with Jesús Sánchez as their starter in center. A bold choice for a contending team, as that was a position he had never played before in the majors, barely played at all in the minors, and not since 2019. And for one month, it seemed like it just might work. Sanchez slashed .282/.346/.493 in April, with three home runs and 12 RBI … and some pretty competent defensive work to go along with it.

Unfortunately, those numbers came with a .373 BAbip. That that number proved unsustainable is no surprise, but that it crashed back down to a .242 BAbip for the first half and a .202/.261/.381 line with a batting average barely above the dreaded Mendoza Line. That has been a shocking body blow to the Miami Marlins offense.

Now, while Sanchez has hardly been the only disappointing hitter in the Marlins lineup this season, it is fair to say that he came with the highest expectations. Avisail Garcia, Jorge Soler, and Jacob Stallings were supposed to be competent contributors. Sánchez was the one with the upside of a breakout star. Throw in a major drop-off defensively and the lack of any kind of onerous contract, and Sánchez stands alone as the part of the lineup in clearest need of a major upgrade and with the least obstacles in the way of doing so.

Really, any kind of an upgrade would do the trick though. It was all fun and games in 2018 and 2019 when Lewis Brinson spent two years in center field hitting under .200. However, this season was supposed to represent a major shift in club philosophy, and a real effort to contend. That goal simply isn’t served by a .202 batting average and shaky defense.

With less than two weeks to go before the MLB Trade Deadline, fans will know in short order if the Marlins envision themselves as buyers or sellers in terms of 2022. Buying is obviously the clearest path to a fix, with a Bryan Reynolds or Cedric Mullins on the high and highly unlikely end, and an Andrew Benintendi or Ramon Laureano farther down the ladder. Or something else entirely — a distressing number of No. 3 or No. 4 outfielders on other teams can boast better seasons than what Sánchez is enjoying. Of course, it doesn’t have to be an outside the organization move. Calling up JJ Bleday or moving Jon Berti to center would get the job done as well.

But even if the next couple weeks go disastrously, and selling becomes the clear choice, no one’s best interests are being served by continuing to let Sánchez flail away at the plate in the majors. He’s been given every chance to figure it out in the bigs, and it hasn’t happened. His struggles hurt the rest of the roster, and can’t be allowed to hurt whatever is left of it after August 2. That kind of thing hurts the development of other players, and is a drag on the clubhouse.

There’s also no reason the Miami Marlins need to wait until 2023 to fill that hole in center field either, no matter what they decide to do in 2022. Even if a sell-off does occur, it’s not going to be one that prevents competing next season. One less thing to worry about if that player has already had a chance to gel with future teammates and/or get used to the league. Bringing in a Ramón Laureano, or someone like Michael A. Taylor or even Michael Conforto makes sense at any time if it means filling a need that isn’t going away.

Bottom-line, three months is more than enough of a sample size to realize this isn’t working. The Marlins have to look at other options.