Offishial news, 11/1/22: Mel Stottlemyre Jr. staying; Fulton’s bulk-up; De La Cruz’s breakout?

Marlins Stat of the Day (via FanGraphs)

Willians Astudillo had the lowest strikeout rate in the majors this season among players with at least 50 plate appearances.

Marlins Podcast Episodes

• Monday’s fall/winter ball updates: Holt Jones had a solid start (5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 1 HR), but didn’t get any run support from José Salas (0-for-3, 2 K) or the other Mesa Solar Sox; Jesús Sánchez (Toros del Este) went 2-for-4 with a two-run double; making his season debut for Águilas Cibaeñas, Jerar Encarnación went 2-for-5 with a run batted in; Luke Williams (Estrellas Orientales) went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run batted in; Tigres del Licey announced Charles Leblanc is day-to-day with a groin injury.
• Mel Stottlemyre Jr. and the Marlins have agreed to a multi-year contract to retain him as pitching coach, per Craig Mish of SportsGrid. Stottlemyre has been instrumental to the development of Miami’s young starters. As a bonus, he’s always refreshingly honest with the media. He’ll now become the first person in Marlins history to serve five-plus seasons as major league pitching coach.
• Game 3 of the World Series was postponed due to rain. During tonight’s makeup beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET, please join us for an extra-long edition of Fish Stripes LIVE on YouTube/Twitch/Twitter. We will react to what’s happening on the field, and more importantly, answer all your Marlins questions. This is a test drive of the “watch party” format that we may use for select 2023 Marlins games.

• The Dodgers’ Justin Turner has been named the 2022 Roberto Clemente Award winner (Pablo López was the nominee for the Marlins). The Justin Turner Foundation supports homeless veterans, children and families battling life-altering illnesses, and youth baseball organizations.
• Coming off a fantastic season, Nolan Arenado opted in to the remaining five years of his contract with the Cardinals, which includes $144 million guaranteed. Arenado probably could’ve gotten a higher average annual value on the open market, but he seemingly appreciated the long-term security he already had with a team he already trusts.
• Here are my predictions for what the Marlins will do to address their 40-man roster crunch.
• Maury Ahram of MLB Trade Rumors is hopeful about the future of Bryan De La Cruz based on his underlying hitting metrics.
• Significantly bulked up from his high school days, Dax Fulton tells Walter Villa of Baseball America that he’s now “working on being more athletic and explosive” entering 2023. Fulton credits his increase to 240 pounds for helping him hold his fastball velocity deep into his starts.
• In her Marlins Beat newsletter, MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola suggests that the Marlins target Josh Bell in free agency. She also shares the first part of a Q&A with Dave Dombrowski regarding his impact on the 1997 World Series-winning team.
• Tickets to attend Monster Jam at LoanDepot Park have gone on sale to the general public. The event takes place from January 28-29.