2015 Miami Marlins Season Preview: 40-Man Roster

The Miami Marlins underwent a serious roster remodeling in preparation for the 2015 campaign. As a result, a number of names have come and gone to make this new roster, and the current 40-man roster reflects this wave of change. The club has revamped the cast around Giancarlo Stanton and the core of young talent that was crowned as the future of the team. The supporting players are universally changed, affecting all areas of the club, including the infield and the rotation.

Here is the current 40-man roster as reported by MLB.com.

#	Pitchers	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
37	Henderson Alvarez	R-R	6'0"	205	Apr 18, 1990
22	Carter Capps	R-R	6'4"	230	Aug 7, 1990
31	Steve Cishek	R-R	6'6"	215	Jun 18, 1986
54	Preston Claiborne	R-R	6'2"	225	Jan 21, 1988
61	Adam Conley	L-L	6'3"	215	May 24, 1990
23	Jarred Cosart	R-R	6'3"	195	May 25, 1990
43	Aaron Crow	R-R	6'3"	195	Nov 10, 1986
66	Grant Dayton	L-L	6'1"	205	Nov 25, 1987
40	Mike Dunn	L-L	6'0"	210	May 23, 1985
36	Sam Dyson	R-R	6'1"	205	May 7, 1988
16	Jose Fernandez	R-R	6'2"	225	Jul 31, 1992
63	Kendry Flores	R-R	6'2"	175	Nov 24, 1991
52	Brad Hand	L-L	6'3"	220	Mar 20, 1990
15	Dan Haren	R-R	6'5"	215	Sep 17, 1980
34	Tom Koehler	R-R	6'2"	235	Jun 29, 1986
35	Mat Latos	R-R	6'6"	245	Dec 9, 1987
50	Andrew McKirahan	R-L	6'2"	195	Feb 8, 1990
57	Bryan Morris	L-R	6'3"	225	Mar 28, 1987
60	Justin Nicolino	L-L	6'3"	190	Nov 22, 1991
41	David Phelps	R-R	6'2"	200	Oct 9, 1986
44	A.J. Ramos	R-R	5'10"	205	Sep 20, 1986
65	Matt Ramsey	R-R	5'11"	205	Sep 24, 1989
25	Andre Rienzo	R-R	6'3"	190	Jul 5, 1988
62	Jose Urena	R-R	6'2"	195	Sep 12, 1991
#	Catchers	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
6	Jeff Mathis	R-R	6'0"	205	Mar 31, 1983
20	J.T. Realmuto	R-R	6'1"	215	Mar 18, 1991
39	Jarrod Saltalamacchia	S-R	6'3"	235	May 2, 1985
#	Infielders	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
10	Jeff Baker	R-R	6'2"	220	Jun 21, 1981
48	Justin Bour	L-R	6'4"	250	May 28, 1988
32	Derek Dietrich	L-R	6'0"	205	Jul 18, 1989
9	Dee Gordon	L-R	5'11"	170	Apr 22, 1988
3	Adeiny Hechavarria	R-R	5'11"	185	Apr 15, 1989
38	Michael Morse	R-R	6'5"	245	Mar 22, 1982
24	Martin Prado	R-R	6'1"	190	Oct 27, 1983
19	Miguel Rojas	R-R	6'0"	150	Feb 24, 1989
17	Donovan Solano	R-R	5'9"	205	Dec 17, 1987
#	Outfielders	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
13	Marcell Ozuna	R-R	6'1"	230	Nov 12, 1990
27	Giancarlo Stanton	R-R	6'6"	240	Nov 8, 1989
51	Ichiro Suzuki	L-R	5'11"	170	Oct 22, 1973
21	Christian Yelich	L-R	6'3"	200	Dec 5, 1991

You can see that the most important name to have not changed hands is Stanton. Rumors ran wild at the beginning of the offseason that the Marlins would consider offloading him, but then the team agreed to a record 13-year contract that became the richest in American sports history. Stanton is going nowhere, at least for six years.

It is fitting that the outfield around him is comprised of only a few names, because the best outfield in baseball should stand above the crowd. Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna make up the core position players on this roster. They roam the spacious outfield with fantastic Gold Glove range and rake at the plate with different approaches. Behind them is Ichiro Suzuki, who will play the role of fourth outfielder for the year while trying to get to 3000 hits for his MLB career.

The infield is brand new save for Adeiny Hechavarria and backups Donovan Solano, Derek Dietrich, and Jeff Baker. The chances of all three making the bench seems unlikely. Justin Bour had a solid season in Triple-A, but with Michael Morse on at first base, he will likely return to the minors instead of serving as the lefty off the bench.

The catcher situation is clear, with Jarrod Saltalamacchia claiming a starting spot, Jeff Mathis playing the backup role for a third straight year, and J.T. Realmuto waiting in the wings.

The pitching staff is set at the top, with the rotation clear as of right now. Miami has five starters set for the time before Jose Fernandez returns from injury. The questions are in the bullpen, where the slots behind Steve Cishek, Mike Dunn, A.J. Ramos, Bryan Morris and Carter Capps are uncertain. Brad Hand figures to play a role in long relief, as he has no options left. Lefty Andrew McKirahan is a Rule 5 draft pick and is competing for the second LOOGY spot. Aaron Crow was a trade acquisition, but as we saw last year with Brian Bogusevic, the Marlins are still willing to cut their trade pickups if they play poorly. David Phelps and Andre Rienzo are two other relief names acquired this past offseason in trades.

Finally, some pitching prospects reside on the 40-man roster right now. Justin Nicolino and Jose Urena are expected to open 2015 in Triple-A, but struggles in the big leagues might bring them to the show earlier than expected. Adam Conley is looking to recover from elbow problems that plagued his 2014 year. Grant Dayton and Matt Ramsey had nice relief seasons in the minors last year and would like a chance at one of those final bullpens spots.

The roster is jam-packed with good names and interesting prospects. Who will make the final 25-man group? Stay tuned to Fish Stripes for all of your Spring Training news!