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Marlins News
In the first of many meetings this year, Miami beat the Nationals by a score of 2-1. Christian Yelich was 3 for 3 on the day and Derek Dietrich hit a walk-off homer in support of an impressive outing by Dan Haren.
Mike Dunn was recently upset by the fact that not many people are counting on the Marlins to succeed this year. Well, Bob Nightengale has answered his prayer with his expectations for the 2015 Fish (a World Series appearance may or may not be one of those expectations).
After the Marlins signed Jarrod Saltalamacchia to a 3 year, $21 million deal, they thought they were getting reliability behind the plate. This was not the case last year as Salty had more than his fair share of struggles. If he is able to have a bounce-back year, here is what we could expect to see from the starting battery.
On the other hand, Saltalamacchia's skills may be in a downward spiral, in which case this sort of performance could be on the cards.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has made it his goal to market the new stars of the game globally. After signing a record contract in November, it is no surprise that Giancarlo Stanton is one of those stars. Manfred is going to try and make the likes of Stanton and Mike Trout as big as LeBron James.
In that same interview, Rob Manfred expressed that Miami and its residents are huge for the global expansion of the MLB into Latin America and beyond. Hispanic residents in the city will be targeted specifically by a new marketing campaign.
Around the League
Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee has not damaged his throwing elbow any further, despite the discomfort. However, if he continues to throw, surgery might be inevitable. At 36-years old, this could end Lee's career.
Jorge Soler, Javier Baez and Kris Bryant hit back-to-back-to-back home runs for the Cubs against the Indians on Tuesday. Prepare for even more people to jump on the "Back to the Future" bandwagon.
The Padres also got a glimpse of their upgraded roster with Matt Kemp and Justin Upton hitting homers in a win over the Giants. They're going to need more of the same if they want to be considered a true contender.
Mike Minor will start the season on the DL for the second straight year after being diagnosed with shoulder inflammation. Could the outlook for the 2015 Braves get any worse?
At Fish Stripes
Miami Marlins linked to Cuban prospect Hector Olivera - Fish Stripes
The 29 year old isn't exactly a fit in Miami as all of the infield positions seem to be set in stone, so this rumor is perplexing considering he will most likely cost more than $50 million.
Miami Marlins open to carrying extra reliever - Fish Stripes
The Marlins may decide to have 13 pitchers and 12 position players on their Opening Day roster due to the situations of Brad Hand and Andrew McKirahan.
2015 Miami Marlins Season Preview; The bench - Fish Stripes
Ichiro Suzuki was a huge pick up for the Marlins, and with the bench candidates playing well in Spring Training so far, the bench may be a strength moving forward.
Miami Marlins the Good, the Bad and the Utility: Let the games begin - Fish Stripes
Miami finished the first week of Spring Training with a 2-2 record. There were some promising performances along the way by a multitude of players, including Michael Morse and David Phelps.