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The Miami Marlins' crowded outfield situation

2013-05-24T16:00:07Z

It's not all the time that the Miami Marlins are facing a problem of plenty, when you consider the team's dire straits at various positions. But as we have discussed before, one place where the Marlins are not lacking is in the outfield. While the club may boast a weaker lineup with the likes of Chris Coghlan and Juan Pierre playing right now, in a few weeks the Fish may have one of the most interesting conundrums of their 2013 season, as pointed out by Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel. The Marlins will once again have Giancarlo Stanton on board after he recovers from his hamstring injury. The team will likely also have passed the time necessary for Super Two status for prospects who have stayed in the minors for the season, opening up the possibility of a promotion for top prospect Christian Yelich, who is demolishing Double-A at the moment.

As mentioned, this would be a good problem for any team to have, but it is still a problem. The Marlins have to justify a few benchings, trades, or demotions for players currently on the roster. Prospect Marcell Ozuna has made a strong case to stay in the majors. Justin Ruggiano has been the Marlins' best position player this season. The other veterans may still want their spot to be secure. How will the Marlins juggle these various issues?

Let's consider each of the potential outfield combinations and see what will be required of each of them.

The Youth Movement: Ozuna, Yelich, Stanton

In the linked article, a couple of unnamed talent evaluators said that this was the lineup the Marlins should use.

Assuming Ozuna stays and Yelich and Stanton are part of the equation in the next few weeks how do they line up? The Marlins probably are several internal discussions away from making that call, but two talent evaluators didn't hesitate when asked.

Both said Stanton in right, Ozuna in center and Yelich in left. Stanton in spite of his uneven defensive play the first month is a premier defensive right fielder, as is Ozuna.

Ozuna has been touted as better in right field than anywhere else, where his arm can be best utilized. He does not have Yelich's excellent athleticism, but he beats Yelich's arm by miles. It may be a push to play either player at either position ultimately.

The youth movement lineup is certainly enticing, especially with the Marlins going nowhere this year. If the team is going to lose, why not lose with its most interesting players? But as mentioned in a previous article here on Fish Stripes, Yelich's promotion is dependent on the Marlins doing something with Justin Ruggiano. After all, Ruggiano has been the team's best offense player all season long and is currently the team leader in wOBA and Wins Above Replacement.

This approach would likely require that the team trade Ruggiano, who has value but is probably still perceived as a Quad-A player or platoon guy at best. If the Marlins attempt to trade Ruggiano, they may find the market a little weak for their taste. But is giving up Ruggiano's arbitration seasons (he is eligible after this year) for less worth the tantalizing option of playing the team's best future outfield combination?

The Promotion: Yelich, Ruggiano, Stanton

This implies that the Marlins are ready to promote Yelich but are not necessarily interested in parting with Ruggiano yet. This move would also force the demotion of Ozuna, who is currently hitting.304/.337/.443 (.339 wOBA). Ozuna's batting line obviously looks nice, but it is inflated by a .383 BABIP. He is still striking out a decent amount (21.3 percent) without drawing many walks (4.8 percent), indicating that his free-swinging ways are still present. Ozuna was promoted early enough that he could use the time in the minors. There is an added bonus that demoting Ozuna now could keep him out of Super Two status in the future.

On the downside, the Marlins would have to demote one of their successful prospect stories in order for this plan to work, and that may not go well with Ozuna. Trying to justify this demotion, especially in order to promote a guy who has not succeeded yet in the majors, would be difficult and may hurt the relationship between the team and Ozuna.

The Status Quo: Ozuna, Ruggiano, Stanton

On the other hand, the Marlins could keep Ozuna in the big league roster and leave Yelich in the minors. This would preserve Yelich's service time, which could be more important down the line as Yelich is a more high-ceiling, potential-superstar prospect. This allows Yelich to refine his game in the minors and does not force the Fish to make more 40-man roster moves, as Ozuna was on the 40-man roster previously.

The problem with this is that Yelich seems more than deserving of a promotion this season. He is hitting .308/.376/.624 (.437 wOBA), with six homers and five triples to his name in 133 plate appearances. If he keeps this up for another month, we could be looking at a Stanton-like situation in which the Marlins have a prospect overwhelming a certain level who has proven all he has to prove in the minors. Not promoting Yelich for a trial run, especially when you already guaranteed 6.5 years of team control of him, seems like a waste.

The Conservative: Pierre, Ruggiano, Stanton

This has almost no chance of happening, but please God no.

Overview

Chances are the Marlins will opt to keep one of their prospects, either Ozuna or Yelich, up in the majors and let the other one come up in September. If Yelich continues to dominate, bank on him being the one to take up a roster spot. Ozuna really could use more seasoning in the minors, especially after his early-season success begins to regress.

That being said, if the Marlins can find a taker for Ruggiano at a decent price, the team should definitely try their future outfield of Ozuna / Yelich / Stanton and give the fans a taste of their brighter future. This team can use all of the interest boost it can get, and boasting two of the more exciting outfield prospects and one of the best players in baseball should help keep some eyes on the team.

Miami Marlins to gain depth at first base after completion of rehab assignments

2013-05-24T14:00:06Z

Nick Green isn't a natural first baseman.

However, as a result of several different injuries that led to many different players playing the position, Green a few weeks ago was asked to step in and fill the void at first.

When he was first called up, Green was batting around .320 while playing in three or four games a week. Green has been in the lineup for 16 games, and has posted a .204 average. Although he initially had a hard time adjusting defensively, Green has since settled in and has yet to commit an error while he was in the lineup, regardless of the position he was playing.

Manager Mike Redmond frequently used Greg Dobbs at first base against right handed pitchers. Dobbs has been off to a slow start offensively, and Redmond felt he would contribute the most by coming off of the bench to pinch hit late in games.

Miami infield coach Perry Hill, in his second stint with the team, has done his best to ensure that defensively, whoever is playing the position is familiar enough to make the necessary plays.

"There's a lot more to it than running over there and putting your foot on the white thing," Hill said in an interview with MLB.com. "There's a lot of details to learn to make the job easier we've been trying to cover."

In addition to Green, Chris Coghlan and Chris Valaika, before he went on the disabled list, were taking ground balls at first base with Hill's guidance. Miguel Olivo, the third catcher the team decided to carry in addition to Rob Brantly and Jeff Mathis, could play first base, as can Matt Diaz, though Diaz was placed on the 15-day disabled list several days ago.

Thought the depth at first base has been limited through the first two months of the season, that is likely to change in the coming weeks. Logan Morrison, who is expected to see most of the time at first base, is currently on a rehab assignment and is eligible to join the club in June.

Joe Mahoney and Casey Kotchman are also currently in the process of getting healthy, and once both do, Miami will likely add Kotchman to the 25-man roster while sending Mahoney to Triple-A New Orleans.

Although it hasn't been easy, with the help of players like Green, filling out the lineup card hasn't been as difficult for Redmond. Hill, though, emphasized the importance of adding depth at first base.

"We've had so many injuries at first, we've got to give [Redmond] some options," Hill said.

Fish Bites: Steve Cishek looking to find comfort zone

2013-05-24T11:54:41Z

-Miami Marlins corner position players faltering - Miami Marlins - MiamiHerald.com

As first basemen Logan Morrison and Joe Mahoney moved closer to rejoining the Marlins by beginning their minor-league injury-rehab assignments this week in Jupiter, the team continued to search for run production from corner positions that traditionally provide it.

-Miami Marlins News: Matt Diaz to DL, Jordan Brown Selected; David Aardsma Signs with Mets - Marlin Maniac - A Miami Marlins Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

David Aardsma saw that he had no future in the Marlins bullpen, so he exercised his opt-out clause. Aardsma posted a 2.57 ERA with 12 strikeouts and eight walks in 14 innings of work for Triple-A New Orleans. He signed with the Mets earlier today and will pitch in Triple-A Las Vegas for the Mets.

-Miami Marlins’ injured Giancarlo Stanton takes live batting practice - Miami Marlins - MiamiHerald.com

When Marlins manager Mike Redmond finished his injury update before batting practice Tuesday, he smiled. On Wednesday, slugger Giancarlo Stanton took live batting practice at Marlins Park for the first time since straining his right hamstring on April 30. Redmond tossed the BP session and said Stanton was swinging the bat well. "He looked good," Redmond said, "like he was feeling all right. I didn’t ask him afterwards; I’m just going off the results. He was hitting them out. It’s another encouraging sign that he’s a little closer to being back on the field."

-REDMOND: Joe West Saw Sanabia Spit, Nothing Happened | Fish Bytes

Marlins manager Mike Redmond said Tuesday that he didn't see pitcher Alex Sanabia spit on a baseball on Monday night -- but first base umpire Joe West did. According to Redmond, West didn't say anything but tossed that ball out of play. Redmond doesn't expect anything to happen to Sanabia since West didn't even mention it.

-Marlins Face White Sox -- Minus Ozzie Guillen | Fish Bytes

How much fun would it have been had the Marlins gone to the south side of Chicago this weekend with Ozzie Guillen still managing? Guillen, fired after one season with the Marlins, managed the White Sox for eight colorful seasons in which he won a World Series but also openly feuded with members of the media as well as players and front office staff.

-Miami Marlins to go to bullpen by committee | www.palmbeachpost.com

Steve Cishek may have five saves in six chances this season, but the sidearmer is no longer the Marlins’ lone closer. Manager Mike Redmond said following the Marlins’ 5-1 win against Philadelphia on Monday night that Cishek will begin sharing those duties with right-hander Chad Qualls and left-hander Mike Dunn.

-Matt Diaz makes it a baker’s dozen Marlins on the disabled list this year | Fish Tank blog: Miami Marlins | The Palm Beach Post

Outfielder Matt Diaz was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left knee bone bruise today (retroactive to Sunday), becoming the 11th Marlins player on the DL. Miami called up Jordan Brown from Class AAA New Orleans. The Marlins have had 13 different players serve 14 stints on the DL this year.

-Sharing closer role, Cishek seeking his comfort zone | marlins.com: News

Steve Cishek understands there is little job security for closers. The right-hander struggled in the role, especially against left-handed hitters, which led to the Marlins deciding to close by matchups.

-Miami Marlins at Chicago White Sox - May 24, 2013 | MLB.com Preview

The Marlins will counter with righty Tom Koehler, who has put together consecutive promising starts since joining the rotation on May 12, although he does not have a win to show for it. The 26-year-old has given up a total of three runs, including one in six innings against the D-backs on Saturday, when he struck out seven. Koehler, whose first six appearances came in relief, said starting is more methodical than pitching out of the bullpen.

-Philadelphia Phillies at Miami Marlins - May 22, 2013 | MLB.com MIA Recap

The Marlins lost potentially more than a game in a 3-0 defeat against the Phillies on Wednesday night in front of 15,520 at Marlins Park. Miami starter Kevin Slowey left the contest after five innings with a left lat strain in his lower back. He exited shortly after going out to warm up before the top of the sixth.

-Miami Marlins are close to getting Logan Morrison back in the fold | marlins.com: News

At last, Logan Morrison is feeling like his game is on solid footing. It's been a long, laborious process for the 25-year-old Marlins first baseman, who is battling back from a surgically-repaired right knee. But after opening the season on the 60-day disabled list and undergoing weeks of recuperating, Morrison is getting closer to returning to the big leagues. All the weeks of treatment and recuperating, the hours spent jogging on an anti-gravity treadmill and hitting in cages are starting to pay off.

-Hill working overtime on nuances of first base | marlins.com: News

Every day since Spring Training, Marlins infield coach Perry Hill goes through the fundamentals of playing first base. Hill teaches everything from positioning to how to hold a runner on. Whether it's responsibilities on relays or how to catch a throw, it's a "whole different ballgame" for many of the guys.

Around The League

-Mariners option Jesus Montero to Triple-A Tacoma | MLB.com: News

Catcher Jesus Montero, one of the expected building blocks of the Mariners' future, was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday as the club looks to spark some change in the wake of a six-game losing streak.

-McLouth dives into crowd for catch; almost hit by drink | orioles.com: News

Nate McLouth flipped into the stands as he made a spectacular catch down the left-field line, and he was nearly hit by a drink thrown by a fan after the play was ruled an out.

-Chase Utley to land on 15-day disabled list with strained oblique | MLB.com: News

The Phillies announced that Chase Utley, who felt a burning sensation on his right side when taking swings during batting practice Monday in Miami, will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with what they have called a "very mild" Grade 1 strained oblique. He is eligible to be activated June 5.

Fenway Park remains special place for Indians manager Terry Francona | MLB.com: News
Terry Francona's time managing the Red Sox was good, bad and everything in between. Making his first appearance at Fenway Park as a visiting manager on Thursday, Francona preferred to soak in the warm welcome and remember the good times.

At Fish Stripes

-The future of the Miami Marlins might actually be bright - Fish Stripes

While Miami has one of the worst records in baseball, Marlins fans should not despair. There is a wealth of talent in the minor leagues, and they are performing well through the first two months of baseball.

-Miami Marlins Daily Minor League Report: May 22 - Fish Stripes

New Orleans shutout a potent River Cats offense, Austin Nola doubled and tripled, and Jesus Solorzano reached base three times.

-Giancarlo Stanton is exactly who the Miami Marlins need - Fish Stripes

Giancarlo Stanton is taking batting practice and resuming baseball activities, and he is exactly what the Marlins' anemic offense needs right now.

-Are the Miami Marlins the worst team in baseball? - Fish Stripes

The Houston Astros and Miami Marlins are entangled in the race for dead last in baseball in 2013. But are the Marlins really on the same level as the Astros?

-The 2013 Marlins, the 2006 Marlins, and being "out of it" - Fish Stripes

The 2013 Miami Marlins have started very similarly to the 2006 Florida Marlins. But while one post-fire sale team succeeded, the other is still doomed for a difficult season ahead.

Miami Marlins Daily Minor League Report: May 23

2013-05-24T11:00:06Z

Triple-A: New Orleans Zephyrs
L 2-4 @ Sacramento River Cats

Full Box Score

Matt Downs, 1B: 2-for-4, 2B

Brian Flynn, SP: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, BB, 7 SO

Brian Flynn was dominant against the River Cats for much of the evening, but faltered in the fourth inning, giving up four consecutive singles. Flynn's ERA in New Orleans rose to 4.33

Double-A: Jacksonville Suns
W 5-3 vs. Birmingham Barons

Full Box Score

Jake Marisnick, CF: 3-for-3, R, HR
Zack Cox, DH: 0-for-3, BB, 3 SO
Jacob Realmuto, C: 2-for-4, R, 2B

Jay Jackson, SP: 6.0 IP, H, 2 R, ER, 3 BB, 4 SO
Scott McGough, RP: 2.0 IP, H, R, ER, BB, 3 SO, HR
Michael Brady, RP: 1.0 IP, 2 SO

Zack Cox earned a hat-trick playing in his first game in over a month. He holds a .313/.429/.406 line this year in 20 games played this year.

Jacob Realmuto hit his seventh double as part of a two-hit night, raising his season line to .215/.285./.326.

Michael Brady collected his ninth save of the year, and lowered his season ERA to 2.50. Brady has struck out 20 batters and walked just two in 18 innings pitched.

High Class A: Jupiter Hammerheads
W 8-4 vs. Daytona Cubs

Full Box Score

Ryan Rieger, 1B: 3-for-4, 2B, BB

Jose Urena, SP: 7.0 IP, 9 H, R, ER, BB

Jose Urena miraculously lasted seven innings despite generating zero strikeouts. He made up for his lack of swing-and-miss stuff by showing solid control, walking just one batter. His ERA for the season fell to 4.26.

Low Class A: Greensboro Grasshoppers
L 10-4 vs. Delmarva Shorebirds

Full Box Score

Michael Main, CF: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2B
Viosergy Rosa, 1B: 2-for-3, R, HR, BB, SO

Austin Brice, SP: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 6 BB, 2 SO, HR

Austin Brice's struggles in the South Atlantic League continued yesterday in another horrific start. He has walked an unacceptable 31 batters in 38 and one-third innings pitched this year, and has a 6.57 ERA. Brice turns 21 in June, so in theory, he should be young enough that his control issues are correctable. The Marlins' coaching staff have their work cut out for them.

The 2013 Marlins, the 2006 Marlins, and being "out of it"

2013-05-23T20:00:07Z

Clark Fosler over at SB Nation's Kansas City Royals blog Royals Review wrote a spectacular piece yesterday on knowing and recognizing when your team is "out of it" in the playoff hunt. The Royals are currently one game under .500, and not many teams that start this late into the season under .500 get a chance to climb back close to .500.

What does that have to do for the Miami Marlins? Well, the Fish are a little bit worse than just under .500. In fact, they are closer to drowning below .500 than merely having their heads submerged. The team is 21 games back of .500 at 13-34 and seemingly with no hope. as they are competing with the Houston Astros for the title of "worst team in baseball" right now.

But there is a glimmer of hope yet for the Fish. Once upon a time, following a previous fire sale, the 2006 Florida Marlins started off with a similarly poor record. By May 23, the Fish were 13-31 that season, and by the time they had played the same number of games as the 2013 Marlins, they were 15-32. At one point, they too sat 20 games below .500. That Marlins team raked in 10 wins a row at the start of June to begin a magical run that saw them finish the season 61-50 from June. Eventually, the Fish climbed back to over .500 in September and stayed in the Wild Card chase for a while before finishing 78-84.

The 2006 and 2013 Marlins receive comparisons because the teams are both following fire sales that dismantled the club and left them with minor league talents trying to make it in the majors. The 2013 Fish are also mired in a rut by late May, but they at least have the hope of the 2006 team to look towards as a goal.

But wait, are the Marlins of now and 2006 really that similar? We tackled the subject of the comparison their fire sales before, and it brought up certain inconsistencies in the team compositions between then and now.

Performance to Date

Sure, the two teams boasted similar records by the time they reached that point, but were their performances all that similar? The 2006 Marlins were 15-32, but at that point, they had scored 216 runs and given up 246 runs. They indeed were a below-.500 team, but the club's run differential indicated that they were a significantly better team. Despite a .319 win percentage, the 2006 Marlins had a run differential of a .432 win percentage team. That is the equivalent of a five-win difference in actual and expected performance.

The Achilles heel of the 2006 team at the time was their pitching, as they had allowed a 4.90 ERA and 4.45 FIP. The offense was actually respectable by that time, scoring 4.6 runs per game and batting .257/.332/.408. Of course, when you have effective rookies like Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla, the team tends to do well (more on that later.)

This season's team, on the other hand, is right where it is supposed to be based on its underlying performance. The 2013 Marlins have been outscored by 76 runs, two and a half times the amount of the 2006 team. Its Pythagorean expected win percentage is almost matching with its real win percentage. The Pythagorean expected number is at .304, only one win better than the .275 the team is currently putting up.

Prospering Prospects

Why is it that the Marlins of then were performing well enough to have a brighter future and the Marlins of now are significantly worse? It comes back to something I brought up in the fire sale comparison.

One major difference between the 2005 and 2012 editions of fire sales was what was left of the Marlins' franchise after the trades. Yes, both trades sent away the team's primary starters at most positions from the previous year, but the advantage of the 2005 team was that they had reinforcements in wait. The Marlins of that year already were prepared with three top-100 prospects who were expected to adequately fill the void left by the fire sale. Jeremy Hermida, Josh Johnson, and Scott Olsen were all highly regarded and stepped immediately into important roles in the 2006 team, and for the most part they were early successes (though that did not translate to late success for two of them).

This year's 2013 Marlins will not have such assistance. It is possible that top prospects Christian Yelich and Jose Fernandez, both likely top-20 prospects in baseball this season, will tear up Double-A to stat the year and receive their promotions, but it is unlikely. No other Marlins are remotely ready for major league play among the team's homegrown group.

This aspect cannot be overlooked. The 2006 Marlins had homegrown talent to supplement the players who were brought in. The 2013 Marlins brought in a lot of players, but many were not great names. More importantly, the vast majority of the team's prospects were not 2013 ready like the old Marlins team's rookies were. Hermida, Johnson, and Olsen were all seasoned in Double-A before being brought up to the bigs. The Marlins' top prospect brought up this season, starting pitcher Jose Fernandez, had not yet seen Double-A hitters in his career. The Marlins brought up two more players this year in Marcell Ozuna and Derek Dietrich while they were spending time in Double-A refining their skills. Neither had owned the level; Ozuna had only 47 plate appearances at the level while had 271 very good plate appearances.

As for the acquisitions, both sides plugged many of those players into their respective rosters, but the 2006 Marlins boasted an actual star in the making in Hanley Ramirez. They even got lucky in finding Uggla as a Rule 5 draft pick. This season's Marlins do not have such great contributors, instead filling their ranks with players like Adeiny Hechavarria and Henderson Alvarez. Those players, while decent, were more at the level of acquisitions like Ricky Nolasco and Mike Jacobs rather than true stars in the making.

The 2006 Fish had at least three players pan out as All-Star level contributors from their top prospects and acquisitions from the fire sale. So far, the best player the Marlins have come up with this year is Fernandez, with Christian Yelich waiting in the wings. Without added star-like players, this year's club would be hard-pressed to make such a furious in-season comeback.

Add to that the injury to the Marlins' lone incoming star in Giancarlo Stanton and you get a season that has gone poorly thus far and is expected to continue to go poorly. Unlike the 2006 squad that was loaded with hidden talent and had plenty of luck on their side, the 2013 team looks destined for a difficult season and no miraculous comeback.

Are the Miami Marlins the worst team in baseball?

2013-05-23T18:00:11Z

Yesterday, Grant Brisbee of Baseball Nation wrote an excellent piece comparing the Miami Marlins and Houston Astros. Why, you ask? Because both teams are terrible.

That led to an open question: Could the Marlins catch up with the Astros? The Marlins shipped off almost every valuable player they had, and their biggest free-agent acquisitions were Juan Pierre and Placido Polanco. Suddenly, they had a roster that could compete with the Astros, by which we mean they couldn't compete, just like the Astros.

As a Marlins fan, it is difficult to read that and feel anything but terrible. At the same time, Marlins fans knew what they were entering into to start the season. The team was going to be bad, but earlier this year, I predicted that they would not be this bad. I was even bold enough to say that the Marlins might win 70 games this year. So to have the Marlin play as badly as they have this year, it seems out of line with where I thought the team was.

At the same time, you might have expected before the season began that the Marlins would maybe be at best five wins better than the Astros, and thus far the Astros are even worse than expected. So both teams have come out of the gates worse than they were supposed to do and are now on terrible paces. But which is the worst? Brisbee broke it down into hitting, pitching, trade deadline factors, and prospect promotions. Let's examine what he said and make our own judgments.

Hitting

Here's what Brisbee said about the Marlins.

Here's the thing: Neither one of these teams has any hitters who should hit better. As in, there aren't a lot of unmitigated disasters in either lineup. For example, the Dodgers' Luis Cruz has a -38 OPS+. If he played every day for the rest of the season, he wouldn't finish the season with a -39 OPS+. He probably wouldn't finish with a 39 OPS+, a 59 OPS+, or even a 69 OPS+. He is currently hitting like Matt Garza with an iron deficiency. He's better than that.

The Marlins don't have anyone like that, really. Greg Dobbs currently has a .549 OPS, which is about 100 points lower than his career mark. But he's 34, so this might be the real Greg Dobbs. Adeiny Hechavarria is hitting .207/.254/.369 at short … which isn't that far from what his minor-league stats suggest he would hit. You can play this game up and down the roster. There are bad hitters. But there aren't gawdawful hitters who can aspire to be bad.

I have some disagreement with this. Part of it is based on the struggles of Giancarlo Stanton at the start of the season. Remember, Stanton played for the Marlins for a whole month, and he had a .322 wOBA during that time span. He is sure to do better and will likely infuse the Fish with some much needed power. Logan Morrison is also set to return from injury and replace the eminently replaceable Greg Dobbs in the lineup. So the Marlins have the "injury return" angle to assist their hitting that indeed is on a horrific pace.

But among the players who are on the team, there are some players who could improve. Brisbee mentions Hechavarria, who is currently putting up an acceptable strikeout rate and a .212 batting average on balls in play. No one is expecting Hechavarria to set the world on fire, but from 2010 to 2012 the qualified player with the lowest BABIP was Rod Barajas, a slow-footed catcher, at .235. Something has to start bouncing Hechavarria's way.

The same could be said of Justin Ruggiano, who also has a low .256 BABIP after a high .402 mark last season. It is difficult not to expect something in between, and any advantage in that department should make him a decently above-average hitter thanks to the power (.196 ISO) that seems to be real.

But in general, Brisbee is right in that the team's veterans are hitting not far from their expectations with no real signal of coming back. But thanks to the injury situation and the fact that the Astros are in a very similar boat, I would give a slight nod to the Marlins in this category going forward. Whether they can make up the 40-point gap in wOBA by the end of the year is a different story.

Pitching

The Marlins' pitching staff has been solid. Having a bright young star like Jose Fernandez helps. Having Kevin Slowey rebound also helps. And the Fish have reinforcements on their way by at worst midseason, as Nathan Eovaldi and Henderson Alvarez should be on the way back to the roster. If the Fish can get positive contributions from Jacob Turner, the team will be in relatively good shape.

The problems the club has faced thus far in pitching have come from their remaining starters. Wade LeBlanc and Alex Sanabia have been acceptably bad, about as good as the bad performance the Astros have received from Lucas Harrell. The problem for the Astros is that every pitcher below Harrell has thrown even worse than that, while the Marlins hit the bottom of their barrel at Sanabia and LeBlanc.

Going forward, the Fish should expect some backwards regression from Kevin Slowey and some reversion to the old Ricky Nolasco, but that should keep firmly ahead of the Astros, who have no reinforcements coming for their currently terrible staff.

Trade Deadline

The Marlins are at the highest risk for a trade deadline move. The Astros have already pretty much hit rock bottom, as the team has few remaining pieces of interest. The Astros also do not have a monetary problem, as they are keeping salaries suppressed as part of a rebuilding strategy rather than a profit ploy. The Fish may be looking to sell their remaining pieces in guys like Nolasco, Slowey, or Steve Cishek if only to avoid paying salaries and getting as much out of these players as possible. The Fish have no interest in their veteran roster continuity, aside from perhaps Greg Dobbs having a permanent spot on the roster.

Prospects

The problem for the Fish is that they have already exhausted a lot of their prospect reinforcements in bringing up Marcell Ozuna and Derek Dietrich early due to injury. Their only remaining option is Christian Yelich, but as we mentioned, there is nary a spot for him in the lineup. While Yelich may deserve a promotion. it would have to come at the expense of benching a former Marlins great in the now-terrible Juan Pierre and disposing of either Ozuna or Ruggiano to either the bench or a trade.

This is weighed against the Astros' issue: they do not have the sort of high-ceiling players the Marlins have. Yelich is ripping Double-A apart to the tune of a .308/.376/.624 (.437 wOBA) line. The only player the Astros have that has played at that level before is Jonathan Singleton. who hit .284/.396/.497 (.393 wOBA) in Double-A last year but is serving a suspension this year.

The Fish have some pitching in the minors that could see play in the post-Nolasco trade months. Turner or the recently-promoted Brian Flynn could make the roster if they hold their own. Jarred Cosart could do the same on the other side with Houston.

Ultimately, I am more inclined to call this a push at this point, simply because there is still a question on whether Yelich or the other remaining players will be able to make a contribution this season. The Marlins, unlike the Astros, are not so brash as to bench their veteran leaders until absolutely necessary.

Overall

I too would agree with Brisbee's assessment that the Marlins are likely a better team. Before the season, I figured the Fish were four or five wins better than the Astros, and despite the terrible start this season, I retain that assumption about the team. Of course, being five wins better than a terrible team makes your team almost as terrible, and neither Astros nor Marlins fans should be happy one way or another. The absolute best thing we can do is to reach out to each other in mutual understanding and console one another about the ugliness of our respective seasons. No matter who is worse, both teams are losing.

Well, except that the Astros seem to have a plan, and we cannot be sure the Marlins have one as well. Stay tuned on that front.

Giancarlo Stanton is exactly who the Miami Marlins need

2013-05-23T16:00:07Z

The Marlins are a bad hitting team, Giancarlo Stanton is a good hitting player. So naturally, the Miami Marlins cannot wait to get them back into their lineup. On Wednesday, Giancarlo came one step closer to returning after taking BP and experiencing no pain. No return date is set, but baseball activities have started and everyone knows the Marlins need all the help they can get.

The Miami Marlins lineup currently boasts a -1.0 FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement (fWAR) and has scored only 125 runs through 47 games, totals that are good for last in the league. So, on second thought, I probably should not say the Miami Marlins lineup is "boasting" anything.

As addressed in this piece by Grant Brisbee of Baseball Nation, the Miami Marlins are on pace to have the 10th worst OPS in major league history with .601, but, to quote, "It's never a good idea to bet on historically bad". This statement basically dismisses the idea that the Miami Marlins are the worst offensive team in major league history. The way I see it, the Marlins can only get better.

For nearly half of the season the Miami Marlins have been without their best hitter, Giancarlo Stanton who was placed on the DL April 30th for a hamstring strain. As I'm sure many of you recall, Giancarlo was not having the best go of things at the plate.Before his injury he hit a mere .227/.341/.387 slash with a .322 wOBA in April, but that is not the story of Giancarlo Stanton. The story of Giancarlo Stanton is that of 30-plus home run seasons and 5.7 fWAR in 2012, near-MVP type performance.

When the Miami Marlins get him back into the lineup they will have gotten their big difference maker. The "big difference" that he makes will not be between loser and winner, or playoffs and golfing. The difference he makes will be between being the worst and being the near-worst. With the worst being the Houston Astros and their total rebuild, and the near-worst being...well...your Miami Marlins.

Fish Bites: Miami Marlins injury updates on Stanton, LoMo and Slowey

2013-05-23T13:43:04Z

Marlins right-hander Kevin Slowey exits start with left lat strain | marlins.com: News
After five impressive innings on Wednesday night, Kevin Slowey took the mound to warm up for the sixth. But before throwing a pitch, Marlins manager Mike Redmond and assistant trainer Mike Kozak were called to check on the 29-year-old righty. The club announced he has a left lat strain, and will be re-evaluated Thursday.

Stanton takes BP on field, feels no discomfort | marlins.com: News

Progress is being made on Giancarlo Stanton's road to recovery. The Marlins slugger on Wednesday afternoon took batting practice on the field. He estimated about 50 swings, and felt no discomfort.

Logan Morrison could be back with Miami Marlins by June 1 | www.palmbeachpost.com

Logan Morrison’s minor-league rehab assignment will move to Double-A Jacksonville on Monday and he could rejoin the Marlins as early as the end of next week.

Marlins or Astros: Who's worse? - Baseball Nation
"Back in the early off-season, when the discerning baseball fan wanted to laugh at a team with dismal prospects, he or she would pick on the Houston Astros...Then the Marlins happened."

Around the League

Is Patrick Corbin Arizona's New Ace? - Beyond the Box Score
Patrick Corbin is providing to be more than a stopgap for the arrival of Tyler Skaggs or Daniel Hudson's return from surgery and outperforming the rest of the staff in Arizona, let alone most of the MLB. What's leading to his newfound dominance?

Andre Ethier is Now Eminently Available | FanGraphs Baseball
Despite the Dodgers signing him to a contract worth $85 million it now appears that Andre Ethier is now available.

Tampa Bay Rays at Toronto Blue Jays - May 22, 2013 | MLB.com TOR Recap

The Blue Jays are one of the most underwhelming teams to this point in the 2013 season but tonight they are winners. Jose Bautista had a 4-for-4 night that included two homers and four RBIs against the Rays. One of his homers tied the game in the ninth, while his RBI in the 10th sent the Blue Jays out of the dugout and on to the field in celebration.

Great Debates: Do Hot Streaks Exist? - Athletics Nation

Can a player truly be "in the zone"? Or are hot streaks just random statistical variation? Athletics Nation examines the arguments of two prominent men in the baseball field: Brandon McCarthy and Keith Law.

At Fish Stripes

Miami Marlins Daily Minor League Report: May 21 - Fish Stripes
Kevin Mattison homered and doubled off one of Oakland's top prospects, Sonny Gray. Adam Conley struck out only one batter in six innings pitched, but kept Jacksonville competitive enough to win.

Miami Marlins oust Steve Cishek as sole closer, turn to closer-by-committee - Fish Stripes

The Miami Marlins will now use Steve Cishek in a closer-by-committee role with Mike Dunn and Chad Qualls after the sidearming righty's early struggles.

Miami Marlins news: Alex Sanabia spitball saga continues - Fish Stripes

The news regarding the Alex Sanabia spitball incident continues to grow, with information regarding whether the umpires caught anything during the game.

Miami Marlins vs. Philadelphia Phillies: Cliff Lee, Phillies shut out Fish 3-0 - Fish Stripes
Cliff Lee puts up a masterful performance for the Philadelphia Phillies against the pitiful Miami Marlins lineup as the Fish are shut out 3-0.