Tag Archive for: Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins Start 3-0 For the First Time Since 2009

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It was quite the competitive opening weekend between the Rockies and the Marlins. Miami took care of business taking all 3 for an opening weekend sweep on the backs of the Marlins pitching staff who gave up only 7 runs all weekend. The starters, the bullpen, and timely hitting all led to the Marlins first 3-0 start since 2009.

Game 1-Marlins 2 Rockies 1

The Marlins started the year with a nailbiter in front of 32,000 Marlins fans as Sandy Alcantara delivered a vintage 7 inning performance where he gave up 1 unearned run. The Marlins scored 2 in the second on an Owen Caissie double and a Javier Sanoja single. The bottom of the order came through in a big way and helped the Marlins get into the Rockies bullpen. Anthony Bender and Andrew Nardi cleaned up the eighth while Pete Fairbanks came through with his first save as a member of the Marlins.

Player of the Game Sandy Alcantara 7.0 IP 4H 5K 2w Win

Game 2- Marlins 4 Rockies 3

Game 2 was much of the same story that started on the mound with a dominant performance from Eury Perez who went a strong 7 innings. Perez gave up a homerun in the top of the second to TJ Rumfield (first career homerun) and settled in nicely from there giving up one more home run to Ezequiel Tovar in the top of the fourth. But the Marlins lineup got the job done plating across four runs. One in the third on a sac fly from Liam Hicks, and two more to tie the game at three on a Liam Hicks 2-run homer that drove in Agustin Ramirez. After Perez was pulled, Calvin Faucher pitched a scoreless eighth that gave the Marlins the runway to take the lead in the bottom half as Owen Caissie (3-4 rbi) drove in Otto Lopez. Pete Fairbanks then came in for the second night in a row and dominated the Rockies on 9 pitches securing his second save of the year.

Player of the Game Eury Perez 7.0IP 5H 3ER 8K 1w

Game 3- Marlins 4 Rockies 3

A fun game for the Marlins that saw them trail 3-2 for the whole game. Max Meyer got tagged for 3 in the first inning of his start and settled in to get through innings. The Marlins lineup was able to scratch across two thanks to Otto Lopez and Austin Slater rbis, and the bullpen held the Rockies scoreless to the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth the Marlins lead off batter Xavier Edwards got on base before Liam Hicks smoked a ball to first for an unlucky unassisted double play. Javier Sanoja extended the game with a double and the man of the weekend Owen Caissie delivered a thunderous two run walk off home run, securing the sweep.

Player of the Game Owen Caissie 2-Run Walk Off Homerun

This was a wonderful start to the season for the Marlins and will give them great momentum heading into another series where they are simply the better team. The White Sox come to town for a 3-game set starting Monday 3/30.

 

Marlins prospect Deyvison De Los Santos to make MLB debut Sunday

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Due to Christopher Morel going on the 10-day injured list, Deyvison De Los Santos will get his chance to live out his big league dream.

The slugging first base prospect was called up on Saturday and is expected to start in Sunday’s series finale against the Colorado Rockies. De Los Santos said the first thing he did upon receiving the promotion was to call his parents.

“They’ve all been waiting for this moment and I’ve been waiting for this moment as well since I was a little kid,” De Los Santos said through an interpreter. “Now I just need to do my best out there and just help the team win some games and stay out here.”

De Los Santos came to the Marlins in a 2024 midseason trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks for relief pitcher AJ Puk. In 2024, the 22-year-old hit 40 home runs and 120 RBI in the minor leagues. He struggled to replicate those numbers in 2025 but drove in 54 runs in 106 games in Triple-A Jacksonville.

He went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer in his lone game for the Jumbo Shrimp this season. De Los Santos said one of the things he has been working on for over a year in order to reach the big leagues was his emotions.

“To be a big leaguer, you’ve got to have that maturity, that mindset,” De Los Santos said. “That’s what it takes.”

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said De Los Santos will likely see the bulk of his opportunities as a first baseman or designated hitter against left-handed pitching. He slashed .288/.326/.438 in 80 at-bats against lefties in Triple-A last year.

“Probably that’s where his opportunities starting will come from is versus left,” McCullough said.

Despite his young age, De Los Santos has already logged 206 games in Triple-A before getting called up.

“You forget how young he is,” McCullough said. “The power potential, the impact, we know that’s certainly something that we’re intrigued by acquiring De Los Santos, how hard he hits the ball, and him refining his at-bat quality, his approach offensively will probably be the determining factor of how much of that power he gets to in the Major League level.”

Morel was expected to start at first base for the Marlins on Opening Day, but strained his left oblique before first pitch. Morel, who signed a one-year $2M deal with the Marlins over the offseason, is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

McCullough said they will have a better idea of how much time Morel will truly miss within the first two weeks.

“In the next week-10 days, we’ll have a better idea of what the range is but looking at somewhere around a month,” McCullough said.

Along with De Los Santos, McCullough said Connor Norby will get the majority of appearances at first base along with Liam Hicks when he’s not catching.

Newly added veteran outfielder bats leadoff in Marlins Opening Day win

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Veteran outfielder Austin Slater joined the Marlins as a free agent at the end of spring training after the Detroit Tigers released him. He batted leadoff on Opening Day with the strategy of the veteran right fielder matching up against Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland. 

“Austin has for a number of years put together just really high quality at-bats versus left, been a performer versus left,” said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough, who mentioned pregame that the thought was to “try to bank him as many plate appearances today as we can.”

The strategy didn’t work out, as Slater went 0-for-3 against Freeland. He did however, contribute defensively in a clutch way when he threw Jake McCarthy out at home plate to help the Marlins win 2-1 on Friday 

Typically, Slater has fared better against southpaws over the course of his decade-long career. All five of his home runs last year were against left-handers, he batted .288 against them in 2023. From 2020-22, his prime years, Slater batted .285 against left-handed pitching through a total of 209 games. 

Slater, drawing from his experience with the Chicago White Sox last year, explained to reporters on Wednesday his excitement about being a veteran on a young team like Miami. 

“Being on a young team and being able to help guys out in any way I can, whether it’s tips or just mindset or whatever it might be, I find that really exciting,” Slater said. “And also the opportunity to play and contribute on a big league team.”

In a pregame interview with Tyler Boronski on Friday, Slater said he liked what he saw from the Marlins when he played against them last year as a newly acquired member of the New York Yankees. The Marlins swept the Yankees to reach the .500 mark entering August. 

“I just remember the energy that the guys played with on the other side,” Slater said. “It’s a hard team to beat. The Yankees, when I was with them, we were trying to make a playoff run and we just ran into a brick wall. I think if we can bring that kind of intensity this year to every game, every series, we’re gonna have a lot of success.”

Slater spent the first eight seasons of his big league career with the San Francisco Giants. His best season came in 2021 under then-manager Gabe Kapler, who is now the Marlins general manager. Slater, who hit 12 home runs and stole 15 bases in 129 games for a San Francisco squad that won 107 games, said he has “a lot of trust with him and some friendship over the years.” 

“Gabe’s a great communicator. He’s gonna shoot you straight,” Slater said. “It’s nice to have someone like that not only in your corner but who’s gonna give you honest feedback.”

Signing Slater comes after star outfielder Kyle Stowers entered the 10-day injured list on Sunday due to a hamstring injury. There are no guarantees upon how the Marlins outfield depth will look upon his return. 

Marlins cool Colorado’s bats, win 2-1 on Opening Day

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The heroes of the World Baseball Classic came through at the plate to lead the Miami Marlins to a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Opening Day on Friday.

Owen Caissie drove home the first run of the game in his first plate appearance as a Marlin. Caissie was the prize in a trade with the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Edward Cabrera. He showed off his potential early in the WBC, going 7-for-17 with a home run and five RBIs in five games to lead Canada to its first quarterfinal round.

Caissie then scored on an RBI double by Javier Sanoja in the second inning. Sanoja, who won the WBC for Venezuela, went 3-for-3 to lead the Marlins at the plate.

“We just stayed true to ourselves and grinned out every at-bat, every pitch, and got the job done,” Caissie said after the game.

It turned out to be the only scoring needed for the win. Sandy Alcantara pitched his team-record sixth Opening Day start and went seven innings allowing no earned runs on four hits, two walks, and five strikeouts.

“Sandy was unbelievable,” Marlins first baseman Connor Norby said after the game. “It was vintage Sandy.”

The bullpen of Andrew Nardi, Anthony Bender, and closer Peter Fairbanks combined for three hits and four strikeouts in the final two innings. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough was impressed with how Alcantara, a Cy Young award winner in 2022, went deep with only 73 pitches.

“All in all, this was a great start to the year for Sandy to go that deep in the game, be that efficient, and as well as to be able to execute at the rate he did today,” McCullough said after the game.

Norby originally was slated in the lineup as the designated hitter. He was moved to first base after Christopher Morrell was scratched due to an oblique injury before the start of the game. Norby dubbed himself the “jack of all trades” and went 2-for-3 at the plate, while playing mistake-free defense.

“Do whatever helps the team win,” Norby said. “There are no excuses in this game. Don’t have a ton of experience over there but I felt pretty good over there.”

Hunter Goodman led the Rockies at the plate with a 2-for-4 night. Jordan Beck drove Ezequiel Tovar home in the fourth inning for Colorado’s only run.

Kyle Freeland took the loss after allowing two runs on five hits with two strikeouts in 4.1 innings pitched. The Denver native set a Rockies franchise record in pitching his fifth Opening Day.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday. Eury Perez will start for the Marlins against the Rockies’ new starter, Michael Lorenzen.

Miami Marlins 2026 Season Outlook and Predictions

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The Miami Marlins and Clayton McCullough look to build off of their 79-83 2025 campaign. The Marlins got better over the off season and saw a lot of development from their young players last season and into this Spring. While the Marlins projection for wins is still only 72.5 I think that they will clear this number quite easily. Their pitching staff is loaded with high end, proven talent, and their lineup has a lot of emerging, interchangeable pieces. With the few free agent additions, and the overall development of their blossoming stars, the Marlins are well in line to surpass that win total.

So here is the 2026 Miami Marlins outlook.

Total Spending for the Marlins in 2025-26 Free Agency- $21.5M

Pete Fairbanks, $13M

Chris Paddack, $4M

Christopher Morel, $2M

John King, $1.5M

Austin Slater, $1M

Fairbanks had been elite for the Tampa Bay Rays for 5+ seasons recording 90 saves and posting a 3.30 ERA. Fairbanks has been part of winning pitching in 12 playoff games most notably the Rays 2020 World Series run and still has elite advanced metrics. Having a proven closer will be crucial to winning more games in 2026 for the Marlins as it won’t be as much of a revolving door as it has been in years prior.

For Paddack, it’s more of a depth signing. Since his 2019 rookie campaign, things have gone downhill and he has bounced around the majors. The Spring was a great start for Paddack who posted a 0.69 ERA in 13 innings while striking out 12 and only walking 3. Hopefully in a lower leverage role surrounded by elite arms the Marlins can get a glimpse of what Paddack once was.

Morel and Slater bring some much-needed right-handed pop to a lineup –especially an outfield– that features a lot of lefties. King will likely serve a spot role out of the pen for left-on-left situations as he posts a .628 OPS against lefties.

Pitching Staff, One of the League’s Best

It starts with the starters, led by a former Cy Young in Sandy Alcantara the Marlins pitching staff has a chance to be elite yet again. Beyond Sandy we look to three, very promising young starters, Eury Perez who had a great 2025 although the surface level numbers may not agree. Perez has plus-plus stuff and is the future ace of this staff. Then we look to Max Meyer who had an amazing Spring training, working on his most important problem, commanding the strike zone. In 7 inning this spring Meyer had 12 punchies to one walk, a huge sign of what’s to come. Then we look to the back end with Janson Junk and Chris Paddack. Junk has yet to really break out, he has the stuff –especially the breaking ball which ranked in the 91st percentile of run value– he doesn’t walk guys, but he does often get hit around, a trend that continued this spring. He is still a solid 4/5 with room to grow, but a few bad outings and the Marlins could easily look to intriguing young arms like Robby Snelling and Thomas White. And lastly, Chris Paddack, the perfect guy to fill out this rotation.

The Bullpen

The bullpen was not the brightest part of the team last year, but they have some building blocks. Adding Pete Fairbanks to Anthony Bender, Calvin Faucher, Lake Bachar, and Tyler Phillips gives the Marlins bullpen enough stability to finish their starters games.

The Lineup: Stability and Depth

Although Kyle Stowers will start on the IL and Marlins fans will have to wait for Joe Mack to join the big-league team, the lineup is still serviceable, with a lot of interchangeable pieces. Starting in the outfield with Jakob Marsee, Owen Caissie (the MLB’s 42nd ranked prospect received in the Edward Cabrera trade), Heriberto Hernandez, and Griffin Conine. The outfield will have options day to day and will be able to endure the period without their star Kyle Stowers. Moving to the infield, the Marlins have Xavier Edwards, a contact Machine, Otto Lopez a solid infielder, and rounding it out with Connor Norby, Christopher Morel, Graham Pauley, Liam Hicks, and Javier Sanoja.

Beyond Hernandez, Ramirez, and Stowers, the Marlins lineup will rely on getting on base via the walk and the hit and hope for their power bats to drive in runs. Manufacturing runs and winning the low scoring games their elite starting staff keeps them in will be essential to their success.

The lineup isn’t the league’s best, but if they play to their strengths, they can complement their staff just fine.

Final Prediction and Some Bold Predictions

  • 81-81
  • Sandy Alcantara finishes top 5 in CY-Young voting and stays with the team
  • Janson Junk loses his spot to Robby Snelling, potentially moving to the bullpen
  • Agustin Ramirez leads the team in home runs
  • Owen Caissie in the race for rookie of the year

Marlins Open Up the Season at Home Against the Rockies

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The Miami Marlins return to the diamond this Friday for their first series of the 2026 season. Fresh off of a 79-83 roller-coaster of a year. From trade rumors, to winning streaks, to All-Star appearances, and to losing streaks, the season had it all.

But this season, the energy surrounding the Marlins isn’t as high as it should be, the team is back, with many of the same, young and improving players, while they also added a high-end reliever, and solid back of the line starter.

Total Spending for the Marlins in 2025-26 Free Agency- $21.5M

Pete Fairbanks, $13M

Chris Paddack, $4M

Christopher Morel, $2M

John King, $1.5M

Austin Slater, $1M

Fairbanks had been elite for the Tampa Bay Rays for 5+ seasons recording 90 saves and posting a 3.30 ERA. Fairbanks has been part of winning pitching in 12 playoff games most notably the Rays 2020 World Series run and still has elite advanced metrics. Having a proven closer will be crucial to winning more games in 2026 for the Marlins as it won’t be as much of a revolving door as it has been in years prior.

For Paddack, its more of a depth signing. Since his 2019 rookie campaign, things have gone downhill and he has bounced around the majors. The Spring was a great start for Paddack who posted a 0.69 ERA in 13 innings while striking out 12 and only walking 3. Hopefully in a lower leverage role surrounded by elite arms the Marlins can get a glimpse of what Paddack once was.

Opening Weekend Preview

So, now to this weekend, the Marlins first series, one against the Colorado Rockies, one of the MLB’s worst teams. They went 43-119 last season and there just isn’t much going right there. This season will be another poor one in Colorado, and it’s the perfect opportunity for Miami to start their season off just right.

Game 1: Kyle Freeland Vs. Sandy Alcantara

The Marlins ace looks to continue his success from the second half of last season– posting a 3.33 ERA with .218 batting average against in his final 13 starts– in his 6th career opening day start. Sandy has had solid success as an opening day starter but sits with a 2-3 record. If Alcantara can be the Sandy everyone knows he is, the Marlins will open the season 1-0.

Freeland will be making his 5th opening day start –which tells you a lot about the Rockies– and is a guy that forces action. He performs better away from home but not by much still posting a career ERA over 4.00 away from Coors Field. Freeland has allowed an OPS over .800 to righties in his career so expect the Marlins to role with Heriberto Hernandez and Agustin Ramirez and get to the bullpen early in the weekend, something that will be crucial to a series victory.

Then maybe Marlins fans will get to see Chase Dollander

Games 2: Eury Perez vs Michael Lorenzen

First year back from injury wasn’t the best for Eury Perez, but he still showed glimpses of that wonderful rookie campaign. Despite the struggles his advanced statistics still stood out from the actual numbers. Perez’s year was actual really good posting a 3.23 expected ERA (83rd percentile), a .203 expected batting average against (88th percentile), and had a pitching run value of 9 (73rd percentile). His numbers didn’t look great, but the production was there and once again the Rockies are a perfect team to get the season started off right.

The Marlins once again have the advantage in game 2 and the lineup can surely take advantage of Lorenzen as he pitches to contact and has low-end stuff.

Game 3 Max Meyer vs Jose Quintana

The goal for the Marlins this weekend should be to sweep, they are the better team, they have the better pitcher in each matchup, they have the better bullpen, and they have the better lineup. Game 3 features Max Meyer, another exciting young starter who has struggled with walks in his past. For Meyer, it will be about attacking the Rockies hitters and bring the great Spring he had to fruition. Meyer struck out 12 in 7 innings of work while only walking one.

Just check out the metrics on his pitches https://x.com/TJStats/status/2031806551921496488?s=20

Qunitana is a career journeyman and vet. He will bring some stability to the Rockies staff and can beat you any given night. But as long as the Marlins handle business early in the weekend, the Marlins righties should have a field day against the 37-year-old.

Clayton McCullough will likely throw a few different lineups out there this weekend as the Marlins have the depth to handle any pitching matchup.

With all that, baseball is back, and this is the opening series preview for the Marlins.

Prediction- Series sweep of the Colorado Rockies

 

How do the Marlins get back on track?

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Miami (66-65) hosted the Washington Nationals (61-70) for a three-game set and Washington ended up taking two out of three games from the Fish.

 

The inconsistencies with this Marlins squad continued as they struggled all weekend with putting the bat on the ball and driving in enough runs to win games. 

 

The post All-Star break numbers are abysmal for Miami. They hold the third-lowest record in baseball since the break with a record of 13-26 and are just 8-15 in the month of August. 

Things need to turn around quickly if Miami wants to keep their Wild Card chances alive. 

 

Here are takeaways from the series. 

 

Braxton Garrett’s solid start is not enough

 

Garrett struck-out three in six innings of work. He also gave up seven hits and three earned runs that included a two-run home run. 

 

The home run came off the bat of Nationals third baseman Carter Kieboom in the sixth inning when Garrett threw him a mistake hanging curveball that Kieboom crushed to left field. 

 

But besides that mistake pitch, Garrett pitched very well. At least enough to keep it close for the Marlins to have a chance to win. 

 

“I wanted the shutdown inning there and I just felt like I let the team down a little bit,” Garrett said about the home run he gave up in the sixth inning after the game. “But overall, it was good…I didn’t make a ton of mistakes tonight at all and made really good pitches.”

 

The Marlins had just three hits and no runs against Washington’s starting pitcher Joan Adon. So it was another day where a Miami starting pitcher failed to get run support. 

 

“I think he honestly threw one bad curveball that kind of cost him a couple runs,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said about Garrett’s performance after the game. “Otherwise Brax (Garrett) did what he needed to do…to win a game and we just couldn’t get anything going against their starter.”

 

Luis Arraez does not like the month of August

 

Arraez has been dealing with a cold stretch at the plate throughout the month of August. 

 

This month, Arraez is batting 22-for-97 (.227 avg) with his on-base percentage at just .235. 

 

His batting average has also dipped mightily as the season has progressed, sitting at .350 after getting it as high as .402 back on June 23. 

 

During the three-game series, Arraez was just 2-for-12 at the plate which is extremely uncharacteristic for a guy with elite bat-to-ball skills.

 

The Marlins offense relies on the play from Arraez. If he’s playing well, Miami plays well. But if he doesn’t, well, we’ve seen what’s been happening. 

 

Eury Pérez is going to be special

 

Pérez threw six innings and allowed two hits, one run (unearned), one walk and collected seven strikeouts. 

 

Despite Pérez throwing a gem, the Marlins decided to take him out of the game after six innings and 76 pitches to preserve his arm. 

 

“He’s still on innings limits here,” Schumaker said about pulling Pérez out of the game after six innings. “You’ve got to pick and choose when to push and when not to and we’ve got a fresh bullpen and so we were maybe going to get one more inning out of him.”

 

Schumaker went on to say, “Where he’s (Pérez) at in his career and this season, that was going to be it right there no matter what.”

 

In 15 games for the Marlins this season, Pérez has an ERA of 2.68 and is averaging 10.95 strikeouts per nine innings. 

 

“I feel great,” Pérez said after Game 2. “…Feeling great, I’m healthy. Trying to have fun out there and trying to put my team in a good position (to win).”

 

Miami’s scouting department has been doing a fantastic job as they continue to find young and talented pitchers. Guys like Sandy Alcantara, Braxton Garrett and Pérez are going to make this rotation elite for the coming years. 

 

Let me remind you that Pérez is also just 20 years old. 

 

What happened to David Robertson?

 

This is not what Miami had in mind when they traded for a veteran relief pitcher in David Robertson back on July 28 in exchange for a couple of young prospects in Marco Vargas and Ronald Hernandez. 

 

In nine games for the Marlins this year, Robertson has an 8.00 ERA and just three saves in six save opportunities. He’s also given up two home runs and opponents are batting .289 against him.

 

“He’s done it before. That’s why we got him,” Schumaker said about Robertson’s struggles in a Marlins uniform. “He’s been the ninth inning, big spots, postseason tested. And it’s not a lack of effort…All the guys are giving everything they’ve got and I think that’s what makes it even tougher.”

 

Miami was holding onto a 2-1 lead heading into the ninth inning of Game 2 and Robertson came in the game to close it out. 

 

He had some traffic on the bases but eventually found himself with two outs and two strikes against Nationals left fielder Jake Alu. But, Alu would hit a grounder up the middle to tie the game at two a piece. 

 

The next batter, catcher Jacob Stallings was charged with a passed ball which drove in another run for the Nationals and ultimately gave them a 3-2 victory. 

 

“This is just a crappy outing by me,” Robertson said about his blown save after Game 2. “Went out there and blew the game for the guys. It was pathetic. Threw the ball like crap, didn’t get any outs. Just didn’t make any pitches.”

 

It’s not like the Marlins traded for a bad reliever by any means. This guy was lights out with the New York Mets this season. He had a 2.06 ERA with 12 saves in 15 opportunities. Opponents were batting just .207 against him as well. 

 

Miami needs Robertson to somehow get back to his previous form if they want to make a final push for the postseason. 

 

The Marlins will have a day off tomorrow and play the Tampa Bay Rays for a two-game series. Game 1 is on Tuesday, August 29 with the first pitch at 6:40 p.m. ET on Bally Sports Florida. 

 

Kim Ng Marlins

Miami Marlins need to be deadline buyers

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The Marlins find themselves in the midst of one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory. Waking up on Sunday morning with a record of 56-49, they are 0.5 GB of a wild card spot, with a game left in the Detroit series and the most important series of the year coming up against the Philadelphia Phillies.

 

The Fish need reinforcements. As currently constructed, I find it to be a difficult task to reach the postseason. Skip and the coaching staff have managed the team to this point, but now they need help. They already have traded for two relievers in Jorge Lopez in a deal that sent Dylan Floro to the Twins and secured David Robertson in a deal with the Mets for two promising Minor Leaguers. 

 

However, they need more.

 

In this article we will look at names that the Marlins have been linked to.

 

Cody Bellinger, Cubs

 

Cody is in the midst of a bounce back season. He is slashing .315/.368/.540 with an OPS+ of 142. All of this with elite defense in the outfield as he is in the 91st percentile in Outs Above Average. 

 

The Marlins have been linked to Cody for the second trade deadline in a row, there is no secret that they are fans of his. But with the Cubs on an 8 game winning streak and seemingly resurging their season, I find it unlikely that they will deal for him as the Cubs now view the season as salvageable. 

 

Jeimer Candelario, Nationals

 

Candelario is an interesting name as his market in the offseason seemed to be limited. His 2022 campaign with Detroit was not what he had hoped for as he hit .217/.272/.361 with an OPS+ of 82. He signed with the Nationals as a sort of “prove it” deal and he has greatly outperformed the expectations. 

 

Now he sets himself as a prime candidate to be traded due to his .823 OPS so far this season. I can confirm the Marlins are greatly intrigued by what he could bring to the table, and that they have inquired on his services.

 

Paul DeJong, Cardinals

 

The St. Louis Cardinals are an interesting team. They are not normally sellers, they have been one of the model organizations for a long time in this sport. The 2023 season has not treated them nicely as they are greatly underperforming finding themselves in last place of the NL Central with a record of 46-60.

 

DeJong is another candidate that the Marlins have been linked to. Per Andres Bolivar from Con Las Bases Llenas, the Marlins have inquired on him as well as an outfielder. DeJong is an elite defensive shortstop with his bat coming in second in terms of his skillset. 

 

I find him as an interesting name to be linked to as he is not known for his offensive prowess and that is what the Marlins are in dire need of. Slashing .236/.300.417 with an OPS+ at 94 and a Baseball Savant page that looks disenchanting, I would only see him being dealt to Miami in a case where the Marlins cannot get what they want elsewhere.

 

Eloy Jimenez, White Sox

 

Eloy would immediately become the second best bat in the lineup behind Luis Arraez. He is a slugger who will bring power to a lineup that desperately needs it. He is slugging .477 and has an OPS+ of 119. The issue with Eloy is durability. Since 2021, he has only played in 211 of 431 possible games. His talent is unquestionable but for a team who is looking for a late season push it is a risk to take him on, especially when one of the team’s stars is also hurt a lot in Jazz Chisholm Jr. 

 

Another caveat to a potential Eloy deal is the fact that the roster fit is not necessarily the best. He is exclusively a DH. The Marlins already have Jorge Soler, who is having a fine season. Perhaps you can teach him to play 1st Base, but do you want to plug in a player to a new position when they already have an injury history while playing minimal defense? These are all valid questions.

 

Tim Anderson, White Sox

 

Possibly the ultimate buy-low candidate is none other than the shortstop on the Southside of Chicago. Having the worst season of his career by far, Anderson is an interesting name to monitor as we approach the deadline. 

 

Slashing .245/.286/.293 he surely won’t net much of a return for the White Sox unless attached with someone else which might influence the team to keep him, as they have claimed they do not want to undergo another rebuild. 

 

Whatever team trades for him, they must remember that Anderson has a club option for the 2024 season, which if it is picked up, he will be owed $14 Million Dollars.

 

The Rest:

 

While I spoke on some offensive players the Marlins are linked to, below are some pitchers as well.

 

These names include Jordan Montgomery* and Jack Flaherty from the Cardinals as well as Michael Lorenzen from the Detroit Tigers.

 

Montgomery is having the best season of his career, sporting a solid 3.42 ERA with a 108/35 K/BB ratio. Adding him would make an already solid rotation, all the more competitive.

 

*Montgomery was traded to the Texas Rangers, as I was working on this article.

 

Flaherty, while he has dealt with injuries in the past, is finally healthy and is putting up a decent season. 106/54 K/BB with a FIP of 4.23. Perhaps the Marlins believe they can unlock something from the former 1st rounder to make a final .

 

Lorenzen is having a solid year and is garnering a lot of interest around the league, the Marlins being one of them. His 3.58 ERA along with his 83/27 K/BB ratio and his ability to come out of the bullpen, would give the Marlins a swiss army knife as the season winds down. 

 

The Fish have dealt with injuries to their rotation all season. Cueto was out for multiple months and Trevor Rogers has only pitched in 18 innings this season. The Marlins are looking for a starter to come in and provide solid outings and eat innings, especially as the team gears up for Eury Perez’ return.

 

2023 has treated the Marlins nicely and team interest in South Florida is on the rise. Nearly 33 thousand showed up on Saturday afternoon to watch the Marlins take on the TIgers on Venezuelan Heritage day at the park.

 

It would be wise of the team to capitalize on the buzz surrounding the team and prove to the fans they are committed to win by making some win-now moves.

 

5 Takeaways after Marlins Snap 8-Game Losing Streak

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The Miami Marlins (54-47) were hoping to get back on track as they hosted the Colorado Rockies (39-60) for a three-game series at LoanDepot Park. 

 

This was the perfect opportunity for Miami to halt their post-All Star break skid against the worst team in the National League. But, it was still a bumpy ride for the struggling Fish as the Rockies went on to win the series two games to one. 

 

But the Marlins were able to finish the series on a high note, winning Game 3 in walk-off fashion and hope to ignite a little bit of momentum. 

 

Miami is 1-8 since the break and if they don’t turn things around quickly, they might turn into sellers at the trade deadline.  

 

Here are the takeaways from the series.

 

Rocky start from Garrett

It was an outing to forget for left-handed pitcher Braxton Garrett. 

 

Starting Game 1 of the series for the Marlins, Garrett logged just three innings while allowing seven hits and six earned runs. 

 

Garrett gave up three home runs which is something you don’t see too often when the Marlins are playing home at LoanDepot Park. 

 

“Today, I thought the curveball was just getting hit more than usual,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said about Garrett’s outing. “A couple home runs off that and I don’t think the sinker had the movement that he was used to.”

 

It’s been a downhill slope for Garrett in his recent outings. In his last start, he went just 4.2 innings and allowed six hits and four earned runs. 

 

“My cutter hasn’t been great,” Garrett said about his recent struggles. “It hasn’t been in good spots and they (Rockies) just had a really good approach. They were aggressive early and I was just leaving balls a little bit too much over the plate.”

 

The Marlins need Garrett to be pitching deeper into games or else it’s going to take a toll on their bullpen.

 

Cueto is here

Johnny Cueto made his first start on the mound for the Marlins since the beginning of April, and he did not show any signs of rust. 

 

In six innings, Cueto allowed just two hits, one earned run and a walk. But what really stood out were his eight strikeouts. 

 

“I thought he elevated his fastball really well,” Shumaker said about what was working for Cueto. “…Not a ton of hard hits either.”

 

Cueto, with just 81 pitches in the seventh inning, still looked like he had plenty of gas left in the tank. But Schumaker decided to make a pitching change and bring in right-handed reliever J.T. Chargois. 

 

Chargois would end up giving up a single which led to a three-run home run by Rockies right fielder Nolan Jones that tied the game 3-3.

 

“We had a really fresh bullpen,” Schumaker said on why he took Cueto out in the seventh inning. “And you like your chances when you’re up three runs…We just didn’t get it done today.”

 

Jesus Luzardo: A strikeout machine

Did Miami find their new ace? 

 

Marlins left-handed pitcher Jesus Luzardo got the start for Game 3 in hopes to avoid the sweep and he absolutely blew everyone away. 

 

Luzardo pitched seven innings and allowed four hits, two walks and one earned run. He also tallied a career-high 13 strikeouts which tied the Marlins record for most strikeouts by a left-handed pitcher. Along with that, Luzardo tied his career-high in innings pitched and set a career-high in total pitches thrown with 115. 

 

Luzardo is now up to 144 strikeouts on the season, placing him second in the National League and fifth in all of baseball in total strikeouts. 

 

Questionable calls by Skip

Since the All Star break, there have been some decisions that some might shake their heads at from Shumaker. These decisions point directly to pitching. 

 

There’s no doubt that Miami’s pitching staff hasn’t been performing at the same level they had been pre-All Star break. Starting pitchers are struggling to go deep into games which, as previously mentioned in the article, can be a burden on the bullpen. 

 

But to take Cueto out after six shutout innings with a reasonable pitch count is really bizarre. It’s easier to say in hindsight after the Rockies ultimately ended up winning the game, but it’s unlike Shumaker. We saw him make great decisions in the first half of the season and all of a sudden, it feels as if he’s making choices that he himself isn’t fully confident with. 

 

Also in Game 2, Shumaker decided to use his closer, A.J. Puk, in the eighth inning instead of the ninth. That left Tanner Scott with the job of taking care of the ninth inning and that decision would backfire, as the Rockies took a 4-3 lead that sealed the game and the series. 

 

“(A.J.) Puk has not lost his closing role,” Shumaker said about reversing the roles of Puk and Scott during Game 2. “It’s just (that) there’s certain pockets that I wanted Tanner (Scott) in.”

 

Schumaker went on to reiterate, “He (Puk) hasn’t lost the (closer) role, it’s just (that) we’ve flipped it as far as where the pockets are.”

 

Of course, these hiccups aren’t particularly unusual for a first-year manager. Hopefully, Shumaker can get through these growing pains and get the Marlins back on track. 

 

Arraez walks it off for the Fish

With the Marlins on the verge of being swept and losing their ninth-straight game, Luis Arraez decided that enough was enough. 

 

With the game tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the 10th inning, Miami had a runner on second base because of the extra-inning rule. The Rockies would intentionally walk Jesus Sanchez to put runners on first and second base. 

 

Marlins outfielder Dane Myers would strike out and catcher Nick Fortes drew a five-pitch walk to load the bases for Arraez. 

 

Even with Colorado positioned in with six infielders (they moved the right fielder to the infield), Arraez still found a way to hit the ball into play. 

 

Arraez hit a curveball into the outfield and hit his first-career walk-off hit for the Marlins. 

 

“I (saw) they’ve got six infielders and I want(ed) to hit the ball into the outfield and I did it,” Arraez said about his walk-off hit after the game. “But I didn’t see anyone in right field and then the pitcher threw a lot of breaking pitches and I said ok.”

 

The Marlins will head to St. Petersburg and face the Tampa Bay Rays (61-42). Game 1 is on Tuesday, July 25 at 6:40 p.m. ET on Bally Sports Florida.

Marlins take 2 of 3 vs. Pirates: 5 Takeaways

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Struggling is an understatement when it comes to the Miami Marlins (45-50).

But after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates (40-56) in a three-game series, there still might be some hope. 

Before winning Game 1 on Friday, the Marlins were on a four-game losing streak where they were outscored 24-1. 

Yes, you read that correctly. It has been a brutal couple of weeks for the fans and organization, but the series win against the Pirates has to feel good for them. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. A win is a win and the Marlins will certainly take it. 

Here are five takeaways from the series. 

 

The Scoreless Streak is Over

The Marlins have finally scored a run! They snapped a 37 straight scoreless inning streak in the fourth inning of Game 1 thanks to a double by shortstop Miguel Rojas. 

“It felt great to break out offensively, for everybody to do their part and play the game that we played today,” Rojas said after the game. “It’s a little bit of a relief because we didn’t play good at home…we’re continuing to work hard, get better, and that’s what we’re doing right now.”

What’s crazy is that they not only scored in that game, but they put up a total of eight runs. It came out of nowhere. Once they got a run through, it felt like the gates just opened up. Miami had 13 hits including five going for extra bases.

But that wasn’t the only streak the Marlins ended that night. Miami had a nine-game streak without a home run that was put to an end when right fielder Avisail Garcia hit a solo shot into the seats in right field during the seventh inning. That had to feel good not only for the team but for Garcia as well because he hadn’t hit a home run since June 29th in St. Louis. 

“He’s (Garcia) been swinging the bat actually pretty good”, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said about Garcia’s home run that ended the homerless streak. “It’s good to get that home run out of the way too because it’s another thing that gets written about and all that kind of just comes together.”

 

Braxton Garrett’s Stellar Start

Marlins left-hander Braxton Garrett (2-3) got the start in Game 1 and he pitched a fantastic game.

Garrett pitched through six innings of work and struck out seven Pittsburgh hitters and allowed just one earned run. He gave up two hits that included a solo home run by Pirates catcher Jason Delay that traveled a mere 354 feet into left field. Given the dimensions of PNC Park, that home run wouldn’t have counted in a lot of major league ballparks. Nonetheless, Garrett had a terrific outing. 

The former first-round pick has been playing great in his last couple of starts. In his last game against the Pirates, Garrett racked up 11 strikeouts and allowed only two hits and no earned runs. He has been a nice piece for this young and talented starting rotation.

“He (Garrett) was ahead in the count all night,” Mattingly said about Garrett’s performance. “He was ahead all night I felt like, changed speeds, mixed his locations, and was pretty sharp after that first inning.”

 

Sandy Alcantara Shouldn’t Worry

Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara (9-4) was given the start in the third game of the series and he pitched a great game. But for Sandy’s standards, it wasn’t the greatest of starts. 

The All-Star starting pitcher pitched through six innings and gave up two hits and two earned runs. He did however rack up 10 strikeouts but the three walks ended up hurting him. It was an unusual start by Alcantara because he pitched in just six innings. 

“It was a little bit of a battle for him”, Mattingly said after Alcantara’s outing. “He’s had a lot go on since his last start. He flew to L.A. and pitched out there, then came back. There’s a lot going on. But with all that, Sandy is just Sandy and he hangs in there and gives us a chance to win.”

We’re so accustomed to seeing him working through seven, eight, or nine. But, his pitch count just ballooned up 105 at the end of the sixth inning, so Mattingly had no choice but to take him out. 

He was visibly upset with his performance, but he shouldn’t be that hard on himself after a great outing. If it just adds fuel to the fire towards his next start, so be it.

 

Welcome to the Show J.J. Bleday

The day has finally come, Marlins fans. 

Outfielder J.J. Bleday made his Major League debut on Saturday after he was subbed into the late innings of Game 2. Bleday was called up from Triple-A Jacksonville due to a roster move that sent Soler to the IL. 

The former first-round pick and No.4 ranked prospect in the Marlins system showed flashes of what he can potentially become for this team. Someone who not only gets on base, but has some power to his bat.  

Bleday’s first plate appearance in the Major Leagues came in the ninth inning against the Pirate’s All-Star closer, David Bednar. And wouldn’t you know it? Bleday showed patience at the plate and drew a walk. 

In Sunday’s game, Bleday was batting in the fifth spot of the order and went 2-for-4 with a double and a stolen base. In the two games he’s played in so far, he’s been one of the more productive hitters in the Marlins lineup. 

“I’m just blessed to be here,” Bleday said following the victory on Sunday. “Especially to be here in Pittsburgh. I grew up two and a half hours north of here so it’s a little surreal, but I really enjoyed this.”

 

Injuries Are Piling Up

The Marlins have been hit by the injury bug and it has really been hurting the team.

Second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been sitting on the IL since the end of June due to a back injury. On Friday, Chisholm was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back and will be transferred to the 60-day IL. It’s more than likely that the All-Star second baseman’s season has come to an end. 

On Saturday, the Marlins placed left fielder Jorge Soler on the 10-day IL due to back spasms. On that same day during Game 2, rookie right-hander Max Meyer had to exit the game after just 10 pitches due to right elbow discomfort. Also during Game 2, another Marlins All-Star, first baseman Garrett Cooper, was forced to leave the game after getting hit by a pitch in the eighth inning. That pitch hit him in his right wrist and he’s now day-to-day in terms of game status. 

But wait, there’s more. 

Third baseman Brian Anderson was forced to leave the game after making a diving play on the ball in the sixth inning that caused pain in his left shoulder. Anderson was diagnosed with a shoulder sprain on Sunday and was placed on the 10-day IL.

Injuries have clearly hurt this team and it shows on the field. The offense just isn’t there when a lot of the better players on the squad are out. Miami will have to learn how to overcome this obstacle or else their season might be over. 

The Marlins travel to Cincinnati (36-58) for a four-game series from Monday through Thursday. 

 

Photo by Tony Capobianco.

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