Unfortunately, Olivo is feeling like he is he taking blame for something that isn't his fault.
But we will get to that in a second. First up, is some good news for the Olivo's.
"Try to relax my mind, have a good time with her," Olivo said. "You can never forget your family, because those are the only people that are with you all the time."
Happy Anniversary Miguel and Gloria!
Now to the blame thing.
---
"When the team is losing they have to blame somebody, and I think they blame me. That's how it looks. I can't say if they're losing because of me or if the pitchers aren't throwing well because of me. We're losing games and I'm the catcher. Maybe it's my fault. I don't know what they think."
Trust me, Olivo isn't the reason the team is not winning, and he shouldn't think he is. The main reasons are the injuries to the pitching staff and some pretty bad fielding. Even with Olivo's handling of the staff and his propensity to drop balls this season, the team's losing record can't be laid solely on his shoulders. And I'm sorry he feels he is being used as the scapegoat, because that just isn't the case.
It is true that Olivo doesn't figure into the future plans of the Marlins. One of the reasons being that he is once again arbitration eligible and expected to get to around three million dollars for next season. That figure is too pricey for a Marlins catcher who is has a .238 BA with a .654 OPS. Especially when he doesn't handle the pitching staff any better than he does. Olivo isn't without his merits, he is one of the best in the game today throwing behind the runners. But the Marlins have other options.
Which brings us to Matt Treanor.
"He's done a terrific job of hitting the ball, making those adjustments and handling the pitch calling," Gonzalez said. "He's earned a shot at catching a little more."
For next season, the front office is still trying to decide which way it will go with the catcher position.
The first part is interesting, why would an American League scout be interested in the Marlins catcher situation? Of course, it could have been brought up in casual conversation, but be that has it may.
If I had to guess what the team will do next season, I would say that if he has a good spring, John Baker will be brought up to handle some of the catching duties. I would expect Treanor to get most of the load with Baker maybe being assigned to a pitcher, possibly two as the season wears on.
For those who are excited about Baker's prospects as a Major League catcher, I would like to remind you that his numbers this season are about equivalent to the ones Treanor put up in 2003.
All of the offense aside, and the Marlins can generate offense even if the catcher doesn't contribute, Treanor is a bona fide catcher.
"That's my main concern," he said. "I want the pitchers to feel good with me back there, and take that out of their equation that they are going to have to remember game plans, pitch selections and all that stuff. I want them to really trust me to do all that stuff so they can free up their game. I haven't played as well as I think I can this year, which is a positive for me, because I feel I have more in the tank to give."
The Marlins are a team that is pitcher centric and having a catcher who can actually catch, matters.