Why the banged-up Miami Marlins still need to compete anyway

The Miami Marlins have plenty of injuries and excuses at the moment, but they need to find a way to win anyway.

What a difference a week makes for the Miami Marlins.

Last Wednesday, the club made some major waves when they promoted top prospect Eury Perez to the majors. It was an aggressive, win-now move that was refreshing to see from a fan perspective, because it showed an awareness on the front office’s part that this team needs to make big strides in 2023.

And then three devastating injuries rocked the Miami Marlins in a three-day span, during a Miami Marlins season that has seen way more than just those three injuries. Now the team faces the prospect of six weeks without All-Star Jazz Chisholm Jr., an indefinite absence for hot hitting slugger Jesus Sanchez, and at least two weeks without closer A.J. Puk.

Throw in the previously injured Avisail Garcia, and the entire starting outfield is on the injured list. Puk has arguably been the best player on the team after Luis Arraez. Chisholm is the face of the franchise. These are by no means inconsequential injuries.

Unfortunately for the Miami Marlins, they need to find a way to win anyway. Not just stay afloat, treading water until July when they can probably expect to have all these ailing hitters back on the roster and back in a groove. No, this is sink or swim time for a franchise that despite having no shortage of injuries at present …is also entirely out of excuses for continuing to lose that will be acceptable to their fanbase.

Jazz has turf toe? Maybe you shouldn’t have forced him to play a new position. Most of your power bats are injured? Probably should have paid for more of them in free agency. The closer is hurt? Plenty of other high leverage arms were available this winter.

Much of that, and perhaps all of it, is arguably unfair. There is plenty to like about the makeup of the 2023 Miami Marlins, both in terms of how this roster was constructed and what they have done on the field to date. The problem though, as it always is with this team, is that it is never just about this year’s Marlins. It’s also about last year’s team. And the year before. And the year before that. It’s about every Marlins team since Edgar Renteria walked Miami off in the bottom of the 11th inning for the franchise’s first championship back in 1997, with the exception of the 2003 team that won the franchise’s second championship.

Change the owner. Change the uniforms. Change up a broadcaster or two. Change up many, many rosters. The only thing that will actually change the Miami Marlins fortunes, and turn them into a viable, successful franchise in the eyes of the South Florida community is winning. Consistent competitiveness, and the resulting belief that more often than not, the moves the organization makes will ultimately result in a product that wins more than they lose. That has a chance to win, even if they ultimately don’t win it all.

Look at rest of the local sports market right now. Not to go all Greg Cote here, but it really does impact how the average Miami Marlins fan views their team. The Miami Dolphins? Made the playoffs. The Miami Heat and Florida Panthers? Rags to riches postseason runs in 2023, winning series and surpassing expectations. Even the University of Miami made headlines with their deep March Madness runs in men’s and women’s basketball. Everywhere else you look in South Florida, fans can find either superstar talent, elite coaching, creative and stable front offices, and in some cases all of the above.

Consequently, those other clubs get the benefit of the doubt. Get plenty of rope for when things go wrong, or those big injuries occur. If Jimmy Butler, Tyreek Hill, or Matthew Tkachuk get hurt either this week or next season? Fans will forgive. Maybe not on radio call in shows or on social media, but the bulk of the merchandise and ticket buying public? The average fan, with plenty of positive memories to fall back on? Absolutely.

The Miami Marlins though? Nope, sorry.

Two weeks ago, when the injury problems weren’t nearly as bad they are now, I was worried about the Marlins viewing this soft stretch of the schedule they are currently navigating as a chance to get healthy. A time to tread water and get right, rather than an opportunity to pounce and rack up the victories they will dearly wish they had once the team gets into the dog days of summer.

Two weeks later, I’ve gone from worried to terrified this will be the Marlins approach.

Right now, it’s next man up to be sure. Xavier Edwards, Peyton Burdick? Welcome to the show. Jerar Encarnacion? Your moment may be coming. Jake Mangum? Mangum Style time. Some young bat is going to need to step up, and pull their weight. Same goes for some struggling player already on the MLB roster. Maybe that’s Jean Segura. Maybe that’s Joey Wendle. Maybe that’s a catcher.

Okay, it won’t be one of the catchers.

Even if both of those things happen though, it doesn’t belie the fact that the Miami Marlins also need to trade for outside help. Aggressively, and sooner than later. Under no circumstances, unless they completely collapse by the trade deadline, can the front office afford to show any sign of caring more about the 2026 Miami Marlins than they do the 2023 model.

For better or worse, Miami’s window is right now. It is imperative the team do whatever is necessary to keep it open, and not waste it. That does not need to mean win a title, or even win their division. But it does mean they need to win, more often than not. Injuries be damned.