The Direction of The Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins have had a disappointing season, and they’ll be the first to admit it.  They made some splashes this off-season by signing Jose Reyes, Heath Bell, and Mark Buehrle and trading for Carlos Zambrano.  The Marlins did it wrong, sure you can sign a few superstars and have a really good season like the Yankees in 2009, but the problem is the pieces have to gel together as a whole and the Marlins didn’t have that.  Hanley Ramirez stopped hitting and though I think he will again with the Dodgers that might have not happened if he stayed in Miami, reason being he needed a new start under new coaches and management somewhere else to motivate him like he was in 2006-10.  The Marlins also gave up pieces that were doing good in Anibal Sanchez, Randy Choate, and Omar Infante but they got some good prospects and young players who fit the team very well, so all in all that was worth it.  They traded Edward Mujica, a good reliever for Zach Cox, who was once a highly regarded prospect and still is very good, and they needed a future third baseman before the trade, they have one now and he’s good only for the cost of a bullpen arm that can be replaced.  Gaby Sanchez was a fan favorite and had some good seasons, but he wasn’t hitting and he’s not a for sure candidate to turn it around, although he can.  The Marlins got Gorkys Hernandez, a speedy, exciting and all-around good outfielder who can help the Marlins out right now.  The Marlins probably won’t have a winning record this year, but I think given the fact they’re building a team that should be good they could have success as early as 2013, but I think 2014 is the most realistic time for contention.  They have a core of Buehrle, Johnson, Stanton, Morrison, Reyes, and Cishek moving forward and put together with some of the prospects in the trades and a few signings or trade of veteran players that fill holes or make the team better can lead the Marlins to another playoff berth and possibly beyond.  Another note is I have seen Donovan Solano a bit now and I think he can stick around in the MLB and help the Marlins, adding another piece.  The Marlins have even found a good back-up outfielder in Justin Ruggiano who can help now and in the future.
Projected 2015 Line-Up

1. SS Jose Reyes
2. 2B Emilio Bonifacio
3. CF Christian Yelich
4. RF Giancarlo Stanton
5. 1B Logan Morrison
6. 3B Zack Cox
7. LF Gorkys Hernandez
8. C Rob Brantly

Bench
C JT Realmuto
OF Marcell Ozuna
IF Donovan Solano
OF Justin Ruggiano
OF Jesus Solarzano

Starters

1. SP Josh Johnson
2. SP Mark Buehrle
3. SP Jose Fernandez
4. SP Jacob Turner
5. SP Nate Eovaldi

Bullpen is pretty unpredictable but the Marlins ahve lots of good arms and could make some nice signings and trades

Miami Marlins April Recap

Who’s Hot?:
Omar Infante: He has not only been a top performer and been a huge power hitter and just been the Marlins best hitter and he’s been able to hit in multiple spots in the order.  He’s been what they need and saved the team.  He’s the April Team MVP.
Anibal Sanchez: His stuff has been great and he picked up where he left off in 2011, which is a good thing.  He may really breakout this year and be huge for the Marlins all season long.  He’s a been a great starter.
Mark Buehrle: He’s done more than kept the Marlins in the game and been the ace while Johnson has been trying to recover from his injury.  He will do his job for the Marlins and more so far and he can continue that
Who’s Cold? and will they recover?
Hanley Ramirez- Yes (Most of his hits have big though)
Josh Johnson- Yes, can be the ace he is still
Heath Bell- Yes, He will get better
Edward Mujica- Yes, for the most part
John Buck- No
Emilio Bonifaco- Yes
Jose Reyes- Yes
Notes

• Ricky Nolasco might have finally figured it out
• Logan Morrison should have a similar season to what his April has shown
• Gaby Sanchez has to step up and it’s 50-50 that he can
• I wouldn’t worry too much about Heath Bell yet

Recap: The month of April was disappointing but it’s just one month and the Marlins at least finished it in a shape where they can bounce back with a good May.  They need to get it going soon though.  The pitching has been great and maybe the won’t be as good in May, but they will still be a top-notch rotation and bullpen.  The offense needs to step up more than anything and it can.  I wouldn’t worry if I was a Marlins fan, just be concerned.  They played some good teams, and won some good games too, but they lost some games they shouldn’t have.  I’d expect May to be a lot better

A look at the Miami Marlins Opening Day Line-Up and Preview for Game

1. SS Jose Reyes
2. CF Emilo Bonifacio
3. 3B Hanley Ramirez
4. RF Giancarlo Stanton
5. LF Logan Morrison
6. 1B Gaby Sanhcez
7. 2B Omar Infante
8. C John Buck
9. SP Josh Johnson

I like the top, and today that will be the key and during the season.  Reyes and Bonifacio are explosive and in separate and the same ways they should do some big things for the line-up and get on base.  The power in the middle and hitting ability is amazing and Gaby is a great six hole guy.  Infante will be a good hitter at the bottom to get on and though Buck hasn’t lived up, he can hit for power and be big at the bottom.  Josh Johnson just gets outs and wins, home or road, and that leads to a low ERA and he should pick up right back where he left off.

PREVIEW
PREDICTION: Cardinals 6  Marlins 7
MATCHUP: Lohse is on the mound for the Cardinals and he’s trying to prove his 2011 was real and part of it was, but he’s not as good and will show it tonight and the Marlins should get him.  Johnson should do well but there may also be some rust, look for him to rebound and settle in too.  Johnson is just good, he should find a way and show why his ERA was below 2 last year before being hurt, and he’s a good first half pitcher.
KEYS: The Cardinals need the middle of the line-up to get going without Pujols and with Holliday, Berkman and Beltran they look to have a good start.   The Marlins need the bullpen to hold the lead aginst an offense that is still pretty good in the pressure.
LINEUPS: These line-ups both look great and are above average but tonight I’ll give the edge to the Marlins.  Hanley Ramirez vs Lohse and Matt Holliday vs Johnson look like match-ups where the hitters could excel.

Marlins Question 5: The Final and Most Important Question

The Marlins have a playoff worthy team, we’ve seen that so far but are they a team who can make the playoffs in a tough division and make a run in the playoffs if so?  First, they have to stay healthy, which is  obvious but Josh Johnson has to stay healthy and so do the big hitters in the line-up.  If they can they need a performance from Sanchez like last year, which is possible and  Nolasco to improve a little and they have a rotation that could lead them far with usual performances from Buehrle and Johnson.  The Marlins line-up is better than the Phillies and Nationals and possibly better than the Braves so they have that too but pitching wins the World Series and usually beats good hitting.  They need their stars to be stars and Ozzie to handle everyone right.  Not overuse Johnson and if a young hitter gets in a slump make the adjustment that is needed.  If the Marlins can make the playoffs, and there’s a decent chance they do,  they can make a run with their pitching, and anything can happen in the playoff, especially if the Marlins are hot at the end of the year, which is possible since they have an easier schedule and they beat their rivals in their final two months.  I like the Marlins chances and wouldn’t be surprised if they made the World Series.  I’m not going to go out and say they are going to make the playoffs but these questions showed that this team is very capable of doing some big things.

Top 10 Miami Marlins Right Now

In the spirit of MLB Network’s Top 10 Right Now TV show, I thought it would be cool to make a list of the Top Marlins heading into 2012, looking at their ability, past stats, and future I made this list.  Feel free to post your Top 10 right below in the comments…

10 2B Omar Infante

9 1B Gaby Sanchez

8 OF Logan Morrison

7 SP Anibal Sanchez

6 RP Heath Bell

5 SP Mark Buehrle

4 SP Josh Johnson

3 SS Jose Reyes

2 RF Giancarlo Stanton

1 3B Hanley Ramirez

HM: Nolasco, Bonifacio, Buck, Coghlan, Zambrano

Some explanation too.  Hanley had a down year but is the best still and Stanton could overtake him with his bright future.  Reyes slots in a t number three, which goes to show you how deep the Marlins infield is and how fast it could be.  Josh Johnson is the Marlins best pitcher and could be even better, if he can stay healthy and Buehrle will do what he’s always done and is still in his prime.  Bell is still a great closer and near the top of guys I’d want to close out a game.  Sanchez is a good pitcher who gets strikeout and is great in the number three slot.  Morrison is an all-around threat besides on the base paths and could climb with his development in 2012.  Sanchez is a good first baseman who can hit and field and was the Marlins all-star in 2012.  Infante is underrated and does the small stuff.  Look for Nolasco and Boni to make the list with good years and Morrison to jump most from 2012’s list to next year’s, along with his ability this season.

Marlins Question 3: Does Hanley Rebound?

Hanley Ramirez has been a top notch player since his rookie year in 2006.  In 2011, he had a bad year though and for the Marlins to be great this year, Hanley is going to have to step up and be a top notch player this year, but the question is can Hanley do it?  Hanley is slotted to hit third and needs to be an all-around threat this year like he was from 2006-10 and my gut says he can because he got hurt last year and everyone has a down year plus for a while he was the same old Hanley, but I am going to dig a bit deeper.  His WAR was 0.5 last year, way down from averaging 5.8 since his rookie year.  Hanley was very good in his rookie year sporting a WAR of almost 6, which is great and for a rookie amazing and he is a special player and only going to be 28, those are all great signs and shows that he could return to his 2010 numbers and some.  Last year Hanley .200 in April and .219 in May down from his career .290 and .296 numbers in those months respectively so he should get off to a better start and that should help propel him to a good year.  His power numbers have went down each year since 2008 but I think that’s a fluke because he hit 33 that year and 24 the next, which is closer to what he will do on average and then 21, which all numbers will go up and down a little most likely.  The Marlins don’t even need Hanley to do what he did from 2006-10 to be a playoff team, they just need him to be close to it and Hanley should be even better.  He is a 25-80-.300 type player who is a difference maker and is very valuable to his team.  His switch to third shouldn’t hurt his hitting one bit and it may end up helping his fielding but if he gets worse it won’t be by much, he’s to athletic and has a good arm so I don’t see that messing hi  up.  I am convinced Hanley had a down year due to injuries and a slow start, and since he has no track record of a slow start I am going to just right it off as his bad year and this year he should re-establish himself as a top threat and return to being one of the top players in baseball and he should help the Marlins a ton and be their best hitter and help them possibly go to the playoffs.  It is a key for the Marlins for Han-Ram to do well and that’s a good thing because I would say that has a 95% chance of happening.  PREDICTION FOR HANLEY: HR: 27 RBI: 88 R: 100 AVG: .310 SB: 35 OBP: .380 WAR: 6.3

2012- Better, Worse or The Same- Marlins

In these posts I look at a teams players and say if they will improve on 2011 as far as stats and contributions

John Buck- Better
Gaby Sanchez- Better
Omar Infante- Same
Jose Reyes- Worse, still really good
Hanley Ramirez- Better
Logan Morrison- Better
Emilo Bonifacio- Worse, not a complete turnaround, just a little back
Mike Stanton- Better
Chris Coghlan- Better
Brett Hayes- Same
Bryan Petersen- Better
Greg Dobbs- Same
Donnie Murphy- Better

Josh Johnson-Better, like mid to low 2.00 ERA, if healthy
Ricky Nolasco- Better
Mark Buehrle- Same
Anibal Sanchez- Same
Carlos Zambrano- Better, just a bit
Heath Bell- Worse, just a bit
Juan Carlos Oviedo- Worse
Edward Mujica- Same
Michael Dunn- Same
Randy Choate- Worse
Steve Cishek- Worse, a little
Ryan Webb- Same
Chris Hatcher- Better, but not good
Jose Ceda- Better
Wade LeBlanc- Same
Alex Sanabia- Better, a little
Brad Hand- Better

MARLINS FACT OF THE DAY: Today is Marlins catcher Brett Hayes birthday

Top 10 Miami/Florida Marlins Ever

Hello guys, I am pleased to announce that I have been hired by http://marlinsnationbaseball.blogspot.com/ to write about the Marlins for their blog.  I will still post Tigers and MLB posts here and all my posts on their site will be posted here too, but be sure to check out the site for other awesome articles by some talented writers.  My first post there is to rank the top 1o Marlins ever, so here it is.

10. OF Gary Sheffield- He was a very talented baseball player and is a Hall Of Famer in my opinion.  He had some talented years in Miami and was always one of their most valuable players.  He was in part of his prime during this time too so he was a really good hitter.  He had a monster season in 1996, slugging 42 homers, which is one of the best seasons in Marlin history, plus he had  a good 1997 and helped the Marlins a lot winning the teams first World Seres.  As a Marlin he wasn’t at his top-level but certainly deserves this spot

9. 2B Dan Uggla- He wasn’t the best fielder but his power and offense made up for that.  He was an all-star a few times for the Marlins and he hit 30 homers every season and he was just great and consistent.  He’s the Marlins second bests second baseman ever and probably would;ve earned the number one spot if he hadn’t been traded and he’s one of the better second baseman in the last 15 years.  His power is his best tool and he showed it with he Marlins being a feared clean-up hitter from 2006 to 2010 with no stopping.

8. SP Dontrelle Willis- He had three great seasons with the Marlins and one good one and one forgettable one, but let’s not forget his 2005 when he had an awesome year and maybe should’ve won the Cy Young.  he also won the rookie of the year for the Marlins in 2003 and he was very deserving.  For a while he was even better than Josh Beckett but that last year weighs him down on the list, but he was a very. very good pitcher on the Marlins and was their best lefty ever, and let’s not forget he was a great hitter too.

7. 1B Jeff Conine- He had some good seasons but he was never an awesome player.  He is Mr. Marlin and rightfully so, he was consistent and was always there for the Marlins and was a good hitter.  He spent his best seasons as a Marlin and he had some power and was a good hitter.  He wasn’t the best but what he did for the Marlins was special and he was one of their better hitters

6. 1B Derrek Lee- He is probably the most underrated Marlin ever.  He easily their best first baseman ever and developed into a star in Miami.  He was there and did great all year in 2003 and without him the Marlins would’ve had a touch time winning it all.  He hit 129 homers during his stint with the Marlins and he was always one of their top players and he had a lot of power.  he was just a great hitter and had some of his best season in Miami and his defense was pretty good too.

5. SP Josh Beckett- He’s the best pitcher in Marlins history and he’s a great starter and even though his best season was in Boston, he had great seasons as a Marlins and he can just get outs, any way.  he’s a good strikeout guy and he has been a legit ace since the day he cam up.  There is no way the Marlins win the World Series in 2003 without his postseason performance and with that his regular season one, either.  He always had an ERA that was good and had some great seasons with the Marlins.

4. 3B Mike Lowell- He was a great power hitter and had a ton of homers for the Marlins, some big ones too.  He was a great number four hitter for the Marlins and he had some great seasons for them.  He spent his prime in Miami and he was a feared hitter and if you dont think so look at his numbers, WAR and watch his great swing.  He is one of the best Marlins power hitters ever

3. 2B Luis Castillo- He won two World series with the Marlins and though he wasn’t the big power hitter, or best all-around guy non the team but he was an impact player, with speed and great fielding plus he got on and hit well and was always there at the top of the order and there was a reason he was there for two World Series, he was just a winner and a very impressive player and he was a great leadoff guy and a great number two hitter, in his prime he a very good player and he deserves this spot completely

2. SS Hanley Ramirez- He could move up to number one but for now he will stay here.  He won the Rookie of The Year in 2006 and hasn’t looked back since.  He has been one of the top five players in the game since 2007.  he can field, hit for power, steal and have a good average and he’s an all-star, year in and out and he will rebound on his 2011 season.  His switch to third should go smooth and he should continue his climb to the top rapidly.  There is a lot to like about him and he could be hard to dethrone once he gets to number one

1. LF Miguel Cabrera- He would be number one for a long time if he just would’ve stayed in Florida for a longer time.  He did everything Hanley does only better and he made a huge impact on the 2003 World Series champs at only 20 years old and he just got better from there.  He has been the best hitter behind Pujols since his debut and he won’t look back for a long time and just his five years as a Marlin were so special.  He was a great Marlins and still is one of the best.  His power is amazing and he hit way over .300, he is just so special and he easily deserves the number one spot

HM: Josh Johnson, Kevin Brown, Charles Johnson, Robb Nen, Livan Hernandez, Alex Gonzalez, Juan Pierre, Cliff Floyd, Kevin Millar, Edgar Renteria, Preston Wilson, Brad Penny, AJ Burnett

The Marlins have had a lot of great teams and players since their entrance into the NL in 1993.  Here’s an all-time roster now too…

1. 2B Luis Castillo
2. CF Juan Pierre
3. LF Miguel Cabrera
4. SS Hanley Ramirez
5. 3B Mike Lowell
6. RF Gary Sheffield
7. 1B Derrek Lee
8. C Charles Johnson

2B Uggla
SS Renteria
OF Wilson
OF Floyd
1B Conine
SS Gonzlaez

1. SP Josh Beckett
2. SP Dontrelle Willis
3. SP Josh Johnson
4. SP AJ Burnett
5. SP Kevin Brown

RP: Livan Hernandez, Robb Nen, Antonio Alfonseca, Braden Looper, Brad Penny, Al Lieter

Marlins Sign Jose Reyes

The Marlins have signed shortstop Jose Reyes to a 6 year, 106 million dollar contract.  This will likely br one of the best moves of the offseason and Reyes may be a bit over payed but if he stays healthy he will have a great Marlins tenure and should do much, if any declining while a Marlin.  he will play a great shortstop and his value won;t change at all.  He may even get a bit better as a Marlin and the Marlins now have a very talented and full line-up that should be among the bet.  A position change for Hanley will happen and although he isn’t a bad shortstop he may be better off at third base and Bonifacio is fast and will make for a good center field platoon with Chris Coghlan.  Reyes will steal 60 bases almost every year of this contract and should flash some power and be an all-star.  He will be like the Reyes of 2011 and Reyes shouldn’t hit lower than .290 and be very valuable.  This is a great move and a perfect fit.  Reyes has been in the division so that’s a bonus and this should leapfrog the Marlins over the Mets instantly.  Reyes will continue being top-notch and that’s what Miami got,a  great player.

Topics: Granderson, Debuts, Marlins

• Curtis Granderson has gotten off to a great start with ten homers and he’s hitting pretty good right now to, plus in Yankee Stadium he will cover any piece of ground this year.  I expect his power to stay up and for him to hit around .265 this year.  He will start to hit lefties a little better and playing in Yankee Stadium ad in this line-up will take its toll.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he hit 335 bombs and he’s an all-star.  He will be a pain for rivals this season too and should do really good somewhere in this line-up and when Jeter starts to improve he should move up to the two sot for good and rake.  He will be one of the Yankees best players this year.
• Eric Hosmer walked in his first plate appearance which he will do a bit of, his debut is just the start and he will improve every game, with his hitting and power and by the end of the year he will be doing really good.  Julio Teheran made his debut and gave up three runs in 4.2 innings, he will get better with each start but may need some more seasoning before everything gets better and he will do pretty good this season and improve a lot for future seasons.
• The Marlins have a great shot to challenge the Phillies with the Braves all season and are a great team.  If Hanley starts to rake they will be real legit, especially with their pitching.