Fish Stripes - Miami Marlins promote Christian Yelich, Jake Marisnick, demote Marcell Ozuna, Derek DietrichCovering the Marlins every day in our own wayhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52814/Screen_Shot_2018-12-07_at_12.32.35_PM..png2013-07-24T15:00:10-04:00http://www.fishstripes.com/rss/stream/43125912013-07-24T15:00:10-04:002013-07-24T15:00:10-04:00Marlins promote Yelich: Marcell Ozuna's future
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<p>The recent call-up of Jake Marisnick and Christian Yelich lead to the sudden demotion of promising prospect Marcell Ozuna. What will the future hold for Ozuna in the minors, and are the Marlins handling their star prospects the right way? </p> <p>The career path for power-hitting outfielder <span>Marcell Ozuna</span> took a strange turn as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a> demoted him to Double-A Jacksonville alongside fellow prospect <span>Derek Dietrich</span> in a move that pushed <span>Jake Marisnick</span> and <span>Christian Yelich</span> to the big league club. Ozuna won't make the immediate transition to Jacksonville as he's staying in Miami to see a specialist who will look after a small thumb injury he suffered on Monday's game where he made a diving catch of a <span>Michael Cuddyer</span> liner.</p>
<p>Ozuna's sudden call-up back in late April faced a fair amount of criticism because of the relative inexperience of the young slugger. That notion was backed up by Ozuna's lack of playing time at the Double/Triple A level because he was called up nearly two weeks after his initial debut with Jacksonville.</p>
<p>When you take a glance at Ozuna's numbers from his short time with Miami, they don't look that bad besides a few major areas of concern. Perhaps it could be blamed toward his inexperience against more defined pitcher but Ozuna had an abysmal 57/13 K/BB which is actually pretty average when you look at his past numbers in the minors. Another main contributor to his demotion was his rough cold streak in July where he put up the following split (.162/.219/.265) .</p>
<p>While Ozuna definitely needed more time to work in minors to define his game against some more experienced pitchers, it's puzzling to see him replaced by some of his former Jacksonville Suns teammates. The risk/reward of swapping these three players between the minors and majors could bring some positive results (i.e <span>Jose Fernandez</span>) but it's still somewhat confusing to take that risk when the development of the farm system means more than the current iteration of the big league club.</p>
<p>That act of creating some buzz for an otherwise struggling organization is necessary but there's still a huge chance that that risk could be detrimental to the future of your franchise. The Marlins are basically resting the next five to ten years of their future on the shoulders of Ozuna, Marisnick, Yelich, Fernandez, etc, so it's absolutely crucial to handle their development in the best possible way. While that way could be through early call-ups to the big league organization, the risk of bringing these players up so early could absolutely outweigh that thrill of seeing these young prospects debut in the Major Leagues.</p>
<p>Ozuna or Derek Dietrich could continue to flourish and develop in the minor league system with Jacksonville or New Orleans Zephyrs but there could be some drawback after their sudden demotion. While it probably won't be the sexiest move to make, Ozuna should stay away from the big league club for the foreseeable future to continue to work on those traits (power, speed and defense) that makes him so intriguing and valuable to the overall future of the Marlins franchise.</p>
<h4>More from Fish Stripes:</h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2013/7/24/4539192/miami-marlins-prospects-avery-romero-batavia">Marlins prospects: Avery Romero off to hot start in Batavia</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/videos/2013/7/24/4552380/miami-marlins-christian-yelich-debut-video">Video: Christian Yelich's strong Miami Marlins debut</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2013/7/24/4551288/miami-marlins-links-christian-yelich-jake-marisnick-ryan-braun">Fish Bites: Yelich, Marisnick debut, Ryan Braun suspension</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2013/7/23/4551552/miami-marlins-colorado-rockies-game-98-coverage">Marlins vs. Rockies: Stanton, Yelich, Fernandez lead to 4-2 win</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2013/7/23/4548608/miami-marlins-promotion-christian-yelich-jake-marisnick-effect-justin-ruggiano-donovan-solano">Marlins promote Yelich, Marisnick: Effect on rest of lineup</a></li>
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https://www.fishstripes.com/2013/7/24/4551824/miami-marlins-christian-yelich-jake-marisnick-promotion-marcell-ozunaDakota Schmidt2013-07-24T10:00:22-04:002013-07-24T10:00:22-04:00Video: Christian Yelich's strong Marlins debut
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<p>Christian Yelich had an excellent debut for the Miami Marlins last night against the Colorado Rockies, and you can see the highlights here.</p> <p>Yesterday night, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a> took on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Colorado Rockies</a> in a game with major implications. No, not because the Fish are competing, but because of the debuts of <span>Christian Yelich</span> and <span>Jake Marisnick</span>. While Marisnick went 0-for-4 in his opening game, Christian Yelich had an excellent debut, with three hits and two RBI in four plate appearances.</p>
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<p>Yelich's best hit was his second one, which was a well-struck line drive to center field. His first Major League hit was also well-hit, but on the ground and through the right side of the infield. Either way, all three hits were hit hard and displayed Yelich's textbook swing mechanics.</p>
<p>Whether the Marlins made the right move or not to bring up Yelich (and we here at Fish Stripes contend that they did), Fish fans are going to get a chance to enjoy one of the best hitting prospects in the minors and supposedly the purest swing among all prospects. Just from last night's debut, fans have to be confident in Yelich's chances to stick, and with a little more filling out physically, those hard-hit singles and future doubles should turn into more home runs.</p>
<p>It may very well be a fun time to be a Marlins fan for a change.</p>
<h4>More from Fish Stripes:</h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2013/7/23/4551552/miami-marlins-colorado-rockies-game-98-coverage">Marlins vs. Rockies: Stanton, Yelich, Fernandez lead to 4-2 win</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2013/7/24/4551288/miami-marlins-links-christian-yelich-jake-marisnick-ryan-braun">Fish Bites: Yelich and Marisnick debut, Ryan Braun suspension</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2013/7/23/4549432/miami-marlins-jake-marisnick-promotion-analysis-2013-season">Reviewing Miami Marlins prospect Jake Marisnick's 2013 season</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2013/7/23/4548232/miami-marlins-christian-yelich-promotion-analysis-2013-season">Reviewing Miami Marlins prospect Christian Yelich 2013 season</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2013/7/23/4548472/miami-marlins-christian-yelich-jake-marisnick-promotion-analysis">Miami Marlins make smart decision to promote Christian Yelich, Jake Marisnick</a></li>
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https://www.fishstripes.com/videos/2013/7/24/4552380/miami-marlins-christian-yelich-debut-videoMichael Jong2013-07-23T17:00:05-04:002013-07-23T17:00:05-04:00Reviewing Jake Marisnick's 2013 season to date
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<figcaption>Jake Marisnick will try to bring a power/speed combination to the Marlins lineup and cover a lot of ground out in center field. | Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Believe it or not, Jake Marisnick deserved his promotion to the majors more than his counterpart Christian Yelich. </p> <p>Jake Marisnick and <span>Christian Yelich</span> are without a doubt the top two outfield prospects in the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Marlins</a> farm system. When the news broke yesterday that the Marlins made the decision to promote both of them to the Majors, I was not in the least bit surprised. After all, Christian Yelich is one of the top twenty prospects in baseball and he's finally healthy. Marisnick has been nothing short of outstanding in Double-A Jacksonville this year and he's the Marlins only hope at a center fielder. In fact, Jake Marisnick was even more deserving of the promotion than Yelich due to his consistency and leadership displayed in Jacksonville.</p>
<p>One can easily make the case that, in his 67 games for Jacksonville in 2013, Jake Marisnick was the the most valuable position player, not just on his team, but in the entire Southern League. Marisnick, who is 22-years-old, hit .294/.358/.502 with 12 home runs and 11 stolen bases in 298 plate appearances. Couple this with his outstanding defense and Marisnick is the biggest reason why Jacksonville managed to play above .500 ball even without Christian Yelich for a few weeks. In 2012, Marisnick really struggled with Toronto's Double-A New Hampshire in 55 games, hitting to the tune of only a 70 wRC+. Fortunately, due to his tremendous athleticism and a few changes he has made to his swing, Marisnick has more than doubled that wRC+ and has regained his place as one of the top center field prospects in the minors. No matter how you look at, <span>Jake Marisnick's</span> season has been nothing short of phenomenal to this point.</p>
<p>Christian Yelich has had one roller coaster season in 2013. His season started off very well but plantar fasciitis and later an abdominal strain have kept him out of numerous ballgames. If it weren't for those injuries, one would assume Christian Yelich would have already made it to the Majors. However, being able to avoid small injuries like this is part of what makes a consistent everyday big leaguer. Yelich has not been able to demonstrate that he can stay in a lineup for long stretches of time. Even if you look at his impressive numbers when he was healthy, one could argue that Marisnick has outperformed him. Christian Yelich still may have a brighter future, but in 2013, Jake Marisnick has outperformed Yelich at pretty much all levels.</p>
<p>Overall, it is going to be a blast to watch these two take the field together in Miami with <span>Giancarlo Stanton</span>. It will remain to be seen how both of them can adjust to major league pitching, but Marisnick and Yelich should both be able to help the Marlins score some runs. Also, having these two young, budding superstars in the lineup should theoretically bring more fans out to the ballpark. Jake Marisnick and Christian Yelich were both very deserving of their promotions, but if the Marlins could only call up one of them, it would have been the right thing to do to promote Marisnick.</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2013/7/23/4549432/miami-marlins-jake-marisnick-promotion-analysis-2013-seasonSamEvans2013-07-23T17:00:05-04:002013-07-23T17:00:05-04:00Fish Bites: Reactions to Yelich, Marisnick news
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<p>On Monday night, the Miami Marlins announced that they were going to promote outfielders Christian Yelich and Jake Marisnick. Here are some reactions to the roster moves that are sending Derek Dietrich and Marcell Ozuna to Double-A. </p> <p>Heading into the 2013 season, things were focused on rebuilding for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a>. In an attempt to get a better look at their future, the Marlins on Monday night announced the promotion of outfielders <span>Jake Marisnick</span> and <span>Christian Yelich</span>.</p>
<p>In the corresponding roster moves, the Marlins optioned <span>Derek Dietrich</span> and <span>Marcell Ozuna</span> to Double-A. Dietrich was sturuggling at the plate, and Ozuna, with a .261 average, was inconsistent but hit well with runners in scoring position.</p>
<p>Yelich was expected to be called up before the All-Star break, but subsequently got injured and spent a couple of weeks on the disabled list. He is hitting .280 thus far in 2013.</p>
<p>Promoting Marisnick comes as a surprise to many, mainly because of the fact that it wasn't frequently discussed. Acquired from Toronto, the speedy outfielder was injured throughout Spring Training and was thought to need more time in the minor leagues.</p>
<p>Miami is dedicating the season to evaluating the talent, so many aspects of the move make sense. However, the Marlins must have seen enough from Ozuna and Dietrich to decided that they needed more minor league experience before they can remain in the majors consistently.</p>
<p>-<a href="http://joefrisaro.mlblogs.com/2013/07/23/is-timing-right-to-promote-top-prospects/">Is timing right to promote top prospects? " The Fish Pond</a></p>
<p>Ozuna and Dietrich each showed promise. At times, they also showed their youth, and now they will get some more Minor League seasoning. Both still project to be major parts of the organization’s future. As for Yelich and Marisnick, they now get their first big league chances. Both are highly touted. Both are highly athletic, confident and eager to prove they will be mainstays in Miami’s outfield for years to come. Yelich, a first-round pick in 2010, has one of the best swings in the Minor Leagues. Look for him to take over in left field. Marisnick is a speedster who is terrific defensively, and he will likely step in at center field. The question is how much will he hit?</p>
<p>-<a href="http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/07/marlins-to-promote-christian-yelich-jake-marisnick.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MlbTradeRumors+(MLB+Trade+Rumors)">Marlins To Promote Christian Yelich, Jake Marisnick: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com</a></p>
<p>Marisnick, 22, came to the Marlins as part of this offseason's blockbuster trade with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/">Blue Jays</a>. He ranked as BA's No. 64 prospect prior to the season, with Mayo ranking him 70th and Law ranking him 82nd. His strong season thus far propelled him to No. 39 on Law's midseason Top 50. In 296 plate appearances for Jacksonville, Marisnick is batting .295/.357/.504 -- an oddly similar batting line to that of his teammate Yelich. BA wrote that while there are questions about Marisnick's ability to make contact due to a large frame and sometimes long swing, he has the speed, plus power and above-average defense to project as a five-tool center fielder.</p>
<p>-<a href="http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-07-23/sports/sfl-miami-marlins-promote-yelich-marisnick-20130722_1_marcell-ozuna-jake-marisnick-derek-dietrich">Miami Marlins promote outfield prospects Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna - Sun Sentinel</a></p>
<p>Manager <span>Mike Redmond</span> said he anticipates both players starting Tuesday. Marisnick will man center and Yelich will play left. "This is a positive," Redmond said. "[Ozuna and Dietrich] came up with just a little bit of Double-A experience and hit in the middle of our order for a good bit of time and really energized us. At the same time, we have to do the right thing for these guys and make sure when they come back to the big leagues it's for their careers. "Bringing Yelich and Marisnick, these are two guys that are definitely going to improve our defense in the outfield. They'll bring excitement and hopefully bring another boost of energy to this team and this lineup."</p>
<p>-<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130723&content_id=54423688&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb">Top Marlins prospects Christian Yelich, Jake Marisnick to be called up Tuesday | MLB.com: News</a></p>
<p>Heading into Colorado, the Marlins were shut out in three straight games at Milwaukee. The sluggish offense set a franchise record by going 37 straight scoreless innings. The drought was snapped in the first inning on Monday on <span>Giancarlo Stanton's</span> RBI double. "I want to make this clear: the offensive woes of this team I don't want to be attributed to them," president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said. "That's not why this is happening. I want that to be clear. "It seems we just had a rough weekend and now we're sending a couple players out: I don't want it to be construed in that manner at all. Those kids did an incredible job. We rushed them here to the big leagues out of need, they had very little to almost no Double-A experience, and they did a great job for us."</p>
<p>-<a href="http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/eye-on-baseball/22852054/marlins-calling-up-top-prospects-christian-yelich-and-jake-marisnick">Marlins calling up top prospects Christian Yelich and Jake Marisnick - CBSSports.com</a></p>
<p>The Marlins are going even younger. The team is calling up top outfield prospects Christian Yelich and Jake Marisnick according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Outfielder Marcell Ozuna and infielder Derek Dietrich will be sent to the minors to clear roster spots. Yelich, 21, was ranked as Miami's second best prospect behind <span>Jose Fernandez</span> coming into the season by Baseball America. He ranked eighth in their midseason update of the top 50 prospects in the game earlier this month. Baseball America said Yelich has "the pure swing of a future batting champion and an advanced approach" in their 2013 Prospect Handbook.</p>
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<p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Marlins&src=hash">#Marlins</a> fans have reason for excitement and caution w/ promotions of top prospects Yelich, Marisnick <a href="http://t.co/VpMCF4oLJi">http://t.co/VpMCF4oLJi</a></p>
— Joe Frisaro (@JoeFrisaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeFrisaro/statuses/359554264030384128">July 23, 2013</a>
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<p>Video: <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Marlins&src=hash">#Marlins</a> Prez of Baseball Ops Larry Beinfest explains Yelich, Marisnick promotions: <a href="http://t.co/T4OGjMqzLI">http://t.co/T4OGjMqzLI</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/YouTube">@youtube</a></p>
— Juan C. Rodriguez (@JCRMarlinsbeat) <a href="https://twitter.com/JCRMarlinsbeat/statuses/359532960942276609">July 23, 2013</a>
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<p>Cool pic from <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Suns&src=hash">#Suns</a> radio voice <a href="https://twitter.com/Roger_Hoover">@Roger_Hoover</a> after <a href="https://twitter.com/ChristianYelich">@ChristianYelich</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeMarisnick">@JakeMarisnick</a> got the news. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Marlins&src=hash">#Marlins</a> <a href="http://t.co/KUXWqw8DlE">pic.twitter.com/KUXWqw8DlE</a></p>
— Glenn Geffner (@GlennGeffner) <a href="https://twitter.com/GlennGeffner/statuses/359531735123382272">July 23, 2013</a>
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<p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Marlins&src=hash">#Marlins</a> option Derek Dietrich and Marcell Ozuna to Jax; Christian Yelich (#21) and Jake Marisnick (#23) to be selected tomorrow</p>
— Joe Capozzi (@joecapMARLINS) <a href="https://twitter.com/joecapMARLINS/statuses/359517867978399744">July 23, 2013</a>
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<p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Marlins&src=hash">#Marlins</a> call up Yelich, Marisnick. Good deep league pickups.</p>
— Al Melchior (@almelccbs) <a href="https://twitter.com/almelccbs/statuses/359649414056378368">July 23, 2013</a>
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<p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Marlins&src=hash">#Marlins</a> to promote top prospects OFs Christian Yelich, Jake Marisnick; Dietrich, Ozuna to be sent to AA. This is OF Miami had envisioned</p>
— Stoop Baseball (@StoopBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/StoopBaseball/statuses/359641926712041472">July 23, 2013</a>
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<p>Is timing right to promote top prospects?: The Fish Pond " The promotions were inevitable. It wa... <a href="http://t.co/dviNjk2usR">http://t.co/dviNjk2usR</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23mlb&src=hash">#mlb</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23marlins&src=hash">#marlins</a></p>
— MLB News (@LoyalMLBFans) <a href="https://twitter.com/LoyalMLBFans/statuses/359591277572001792">July 23, 2013</a>
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https://www.fishstripes.com/2013/7/23/4548582/miami-marlins-news-christian-yelich-jake-marisnick-promotion-reactionsScott Gelman2013-07-23T13:00:13-04:002013-07-23T13:00:13-04:00Reviewing Christian Yelich's 2013 season to date
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<p>The injury bug has wreaked havoc on Christian Yelich this season, but luckily for Fish fans, he's done plenty of hitting when he's been on the field.</p> <p style="margin-top: 1em; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; color: #292929; font-size: 15.555556297302246px;"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Marlins</a> Park has turned into a top prospect merry-go-round this season, and now Fish fans will get to see the top position prospect in the entire system, outfielder <span>Christian Yelich</span>, for the first time in the big leagues. Yelich will be joined by fellow top outfield prospect <span>Jake Marisnick</span> (corresponding with the demotions of <span>Marcell Ozuna</span> and <span>Derek Dietrich</span>). We have <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2013/7/23/4548550/miami-marlins-promote-christian-yelich-jake-marisnick-demote-marcell">plenty of fantastic coverage</a> of how all the pieces fall into place here at Fish Stripes, but let's focus right now on Yelich.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 1em; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; color: #292929; font-size: 15.555556297302246px;">Yelich was taken with the 23rd overall pick in the 2010 Draft, part of a class that we're just beginning to realize how stocked full of stupid good talent it was (see <span>Bryce Harper</span>, <span>Manny Machado</span>, <span>Chris Sale</span>, and <span>Matt Harvey</span>). Yelich hasn't had all of the crazy attention that has followed the aforementioned players, but that doesn't mean he's lacking in talent. In fact, all Yelich has done is hit since he entered the Marlins' system.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 1em; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; font-size: 15.555556297302246px;">With all the success Yelich has enjoyed during his professional career to this point, he's actually seen his biggest share of struggles this season. Most of those have been injury-related, dating back to the beginning of the season. He missed just about half of April due to plantar fasciitis and suffered an abdominal strain in June that kept him out for three weeks. I'd venture a guess that the organization also made sure to take their time in bringing Yelich back from injury, seeing as a promotion to the big leagues was possible at some point, though I'm not sure they expected it to be this soon.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 1em; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; font-size: 15.555556297302246px;">Despite all of Yelich's injury problems this season, he's still managed to post an impressive slash line of .279/.359/.504 with seven home runs. The fact that he's been able to display plenty of power in an injury-riddled season is especially encouraging and now he'll get a chance to display it at the big league level. There will likely be some talk about Yelich's increasing strikeout totals but I think it's fair to say that it's likely due to the injuries and having to "start over" twice already this season. If last week's Futures Game performance at Citi Field (2-for-2 with a double) is any indication, Yelich seems to be locked in at the plate and there's no better way to test that theory than at the big league level.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 1em; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26.666667938232422px; font-size: 15.555556297302246px;">The fact is that the Marlins' offense is desperate for offense at this point and even though the promotion may scare some fans into worrying about how this will affect his development, Yelich is already a far more polished hitter than that of Marcell Ozuna or Derek Dietrich at the time of their surprising call-ups. Yelich will likely get the chance to play every day from here on out and if the injury bug is done biting him for this season, he could have a huge impact on the Fish's lineup.</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2013/7/23/4548232/miami-marlins-christian-yelich-promotion-analysis-2013-seasoncdorney2013-07-23T11:00:15-04:002013-07-23T11:00:15-04:00Marlins promote Yelich, Marisnick: Lineup effect
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<img alt="Justin Ruggiano will have to argue to stay in the lineup thanks to the promotion of Christian Yelich and Jake Marisnick." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0Kt1BPS19Vvn2KTSnpGvX9D4rms=/0x266:4000x2933/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/16769647/169566741.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Justin Ruggiano will have to argue to stay in the lineup thanks to the promotion of Christian Yelich and Jake Marisnick. | Al Messerschmidt</figcaption>
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<p>The Miami Marlins' promotion of Christian Yelich and Jake Marisnick leaves some positions filled and others newly open. Who benefits from this move, and who will be taking a back seat because of it?</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a>' promotion of top prospects <span>Christian Yelich</span> and <span>Jake Marisnick</span> is a major shake-up to the team's established roster. Because of the subsequent demotions of <span>Marcell Ozuna</span> and <span>Derek Dietrich</span>, a number of spots on the roster have opened up, while others have been closed. But which players will step in to fill these new roles, and how will that affect the team?</p>
<h5>Outfield</h5>
<p>The obvious first part of the roster that will change is the outfield. Yelich and Marisnick were not promoted to be part-time players, so naturally this means that they will start in left and center field respectively starting tonight against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Colorado Rockies</a>. They should continue to do so for the foreseeable future, as the Marlins have essentially committed to playing these guys for the rest of the year with their late-July promotion.</p>
<p>But who loses out thanks to the outfield crunch? As we have detailed here at Fish Stripes before, outfield seems to be the team's deepest spot, even before Yelich and Marisnick arrived. The presence of a performing <span>Justin Ruggiano</span> would have precluded the Fish from promoting both players, especially considering how well Ozuna was playing before this month. A simple swap of Yelich for Ozuna would have allowed Ruggiano to retain his starting role either in center field or left field, but he has struggled so badly this month (.073/.215/.145, .177 wOBA) that the Marlins decided to turn elsewhere.</p>
<p>This not only means that Ruggiano will take on a permanent fourth outfielder bench role, but that the Fish may be more inclined to trade him before the 2013 trade deadline. The Fish were previously uninterested in dealing Ruggiano because of the team's lack of outfield depth due to injury, particularly the injury suffered by <span>Chris Coghlan</span>. But now the franchise is flush with five outfielders in the majors and one player in the minors who could easily be slotted back into the lineup in case of injury. If the Marlins could get a decent return for Ruggiano despite his struggles, it might be worth a look.</p>
<p>As for <span>Juan Pierre</span>, the team's other former starter, this all but signals the end of his time as a starting player. The only thing that was keeping Pierre in the radar as a starter was the team's loyalty to him, and that loyalty was good enough to stave off Ruggiano for a good while. But since June 19, Pierre has only made seven starts and Ruggiano has covered the remaining games, meaning Pierre was likely on his last legs. Now with the younger prospects on board, expect Pierre to see extremely sporadic playing time and service only as a pinch hitter and pinch runner.</p>
<h5>Second / Third Base</h5>
<p>The other major change to the roster is at second base and, due to personnel, third base. Dietrich had earned essentially all the regular starts at second base, being given the occasional day off as needed. Previously, those days off were handled by <span>Ed Lucas</span>, who is the team's regular starter at third base. <span>Placido Polanco</span> would then move back into his old starting spot after he was deposed by Lucas. Later on, the Marlins got back <span>Donovan Solano</span> and promoted him to provide extra middle infield depth.</p>
<p>Now with Dietrich in the minors, the Fish are going to turn to the three-headed monster of Lucas, Solano, and Polanco to man both positions. The likely primary setup is going to be Ed Lucas at third base and Donovan Solano at second base. That mirrors the team's use of Solano last season. But because of the presence of the veteran Polanco, expect a few more starts with Lucas at second base and Polanco at third base then we saw with Dietrich. The Marlins have less of a reason to trust Solano full-time than they did with Dietrich.</p>
<p>How will that affect the Fish? The performance of players like Solano and Polanco is likely to be worse than that of Dietrich's, even with Dietrich's struggles in July. The Marlins are likely to lose parts of a win in this shift from Dietrich to more playing time for worse hitters.</p>
<h5>Conclusion</h5>
<p>The Marlins' latest promotion move definitely sends some shock waves throughout the roster. The losses by Justin Ruggiano and Juan Pierre are offset by the gains by Placido Polanco and Donovan Solano, except that the Marlins are giving more playing time to the worse set of players. However, with the benefits to the team's long-term goals and the fact that the 2013 season is more or less meaningless results-wise, the Marlins are rightfully more than willing to swallow the loss of Ruggiano's production and take on more of Polanco and Solano. That is how important the development of Christian Yelich and Jake Marisnick are to this team's future.</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2013/7/23/4548608/miami-marlins-promotion-christian-yelich-jake-marisnick-effect-justin-ruggiano-donovan-solanoMichael Jong2013-07-23T08:07:09-04:002013-07-23T08:07:09-04:00Marlins smart to promote Yelich, Marisnick
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IZsmfm0-89fRp7HAWOTwVeAuEd0=/83x0:3915x2555/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/16767159/20130714_jla_ae5_019.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Miami Marlins have been bashed all season for making rash promotions of their top prospects, but yesterday night's call-up of Christian Yelich and Jake Marisnick is actually a smart move on multiple fronts.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a> made the decision to <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2013/7/23/4548022/miami-marlins-news-marlins-promote-prospect-outfielders-christian">promote top prospects</a> <span>Christian Yelich</span> and <span>Jake Marisnick</span> last night to replace other prospects in <span>Marcell Ozuna</span> and <span>Derek Dietrich</span>. Earlier this season, the Fish have made multiple decisions to promote top prospects like Ozuna, Dietrich, and <span>Jose Fernandez</span> at times much earlier than expected. Some of this was forced by necessity, while some of it was forced by poor decision-making on the part of the Marlins. Either way, the act of promoting another top minor leaguer to the bigs is nothing new for the Fish in 2013.</p>
<p>What makes this promotion new is that, unlike the others, this was a <i style="font-weight: bold;">smart decision</i> by the Marlins. It was a good move not just from a performance perspective, but from a service time and long-term management side as well.</p>
<h5>Performance</h5>
<p>From a strict performance perspective, it is difficult to tell if the Marlins improve by much. While Ozuna has mostly been good for the Fish thanks to his defensive performance (according to UZR), his bat has slowly wilted away as expected due to his lack of power. Ozuna came into the season as the lowest-ranked of the Marlins' trio of outfield prospects, but he was the first to be promoted because he was the only one who was on the 40-man roster already.</p>
<p>Outside of that reason, there was little evidence to say that Ozuna, a raw power guy with an iffy plate approach, was a better player than Yelich. Yelich has always been praised for his advanced plate discipline and fantastic swing mechanics, while hitting coach Tino Martinez and pundits like <span>Preston Wilson</span> have critiqued Ozuna's foot tap and swing timing for the last week. Yelich has performed fantastically in Double-A, and there is no reason to believe he would be worse off than Ozuna, who surprised many with his strong start.</p>
<p>Yelich's pedigree as a better prospect and his strong performance in Double-A should signal that he would be an improvement over Ozuna. The promotion of Marisnick is a more interesting question. He is clearly heading to the main roster to be the team's full-time center fielder, meaning that the struggling <span>Justin Ruggiano</span> and the almost invisible <span>Juan Pierre</span> will be the team's fourth and fifth outfielders now. But as good as Marisnick was in Double-A this year and as bad as Ruggiano has played as of late, there is no indication that the former is better than the latter right now. Marisnick's plate discipline issues are still a concern as he heads to the majors, so it will be interested to see if his free-swinging ways are more exploited here a la Ozuna.</p>
<p>As for the demotion of Dietrich, it was a surprising move performance-wise given that he was not struggling as badly as Ozuna was. The Marlins will replace his playing time primarily with <span>Donovan Solano</span> and <span>Placido Polanco</span>, making it a clear decrease in talent.</p>
<p>The overall tally is likely that the Marlins at best stayed even with their previous lineup's performance but more likely <i style="font-weight: bold;">lost a little performance</i> with this switch.</p>
<h5>The Service Time Question, Part 1</h5>
<p>Most fans are probably excited to see the young prospects just as they were when Fernandez, Ozuna, or Dietrich were promoted. But there is a difference in timing between when the Fish sent those players up and their decision to bring up these two prospects now. The difference is that, with Yelich and Marisnick, the Marlins waited long enough to <i style="font-weight: bold;">avoid losing a year of team control or triggering Super 2 status</i>.</p>
<p>By waiting until July, the Marlins guarantee that they do not lose an entire season of team control of two valuable assets like Yelich and Marisnick to a 2013 season that would have been lost with or without them. This is critical for the Marlins because of their penny-pinching ways, as the franchise has a difficult enough time preserving a decent payroll and needs assistance in the form of cost-controlled talent.</p>
<p>By waiting past July, they also guaranteed that neither player would trigger Super 2 status, thus costing the Fish arbitration money at an earlier time. Unlike with Ozuna and Dietrich, who were in line to at least earn Super 2 status should they finish up the season with the Fish, neither Yelich nor Marisnick will get that fourth year of arbitration. Again, this helps a supposedly cash-strapped franchise keep as much cheap control over their talent as possible.</p>
<h5>Free Evaluation Time</h5>
<p>The consequence of the Marlins passing the time period of losing a team-controlled season or being at risk for Super 2 status is that there is <i style="font-weight: bold;">no cost</i> to bring up Yelich and Marisnick. The Fish are not paying a significantly higher salary, as the two players are earning essentially what Ozuna and Dietrich would have earned in the back end of their rookie deals. The service time question for the two promotions is meaningless, since it will cost the Fish no extra time or money to have these two on board.</p>
<p>Because there is no cost, the Marlins essentially have free evaluation time with which to accommodate the two young piece of the future to the Major League situation. The transition from Double-A to the Major Leagues is the toughest jump commonly made in professional baseball, so there will likely be an adjustment period for Yelich and Marisnick. Luckily for Miami, that adjustment period is coming in a lost half-season rather than in 2014, when the Fish are trying to creep back into potential contender status. With this free evaluation time period, the Marlins can safely tinker as needed with their two top prospects and have them ready and more accustomed to the majors by next season.</p>
<p>If the Marlins like what they see, they can keep both players in the majors going forward. But if one or two struggle, they can return to the minors as needed in 2014, thus screwing up only 2013 games that no longer matter from a competitive standpoint. Either way, the franchise benefits long-term from giving these two an early chance at the majors without costing the Major League team significant games.</p>
<h5>The Service Time Question, Part 2</h5>
<p>Interestingly enough, there is a second part to the playing time question, and it might also solve the problem of the team's previous promotions. The Marlins brought up Ozuna and Dietrich in a time period that would allow them to earn Super 2 status if they stayed with the organization continuously going forward. But their sudden demotion now serves to <i><b>reverse</b></i> that effect. Essentially, rather than promoting the two players later to avoid arbitration problems, the Fish are demoting them early by sending them to the minors and avoiding accumulation of service time.</p>
<p>The Marlins can give Ozuna and Dietrich an extra month in the minors. That might not be enough to avoid Ozuna from triggering arbitration early, as he arrived in late April, but it is almost guaranteed to bail the Marlins out on Dietrich. Of course, there is no guarantee either player will stick in the majors long enough to get Super 2 status, but the Marlins' promotion of Yelich and Marisnick furthers that cause.</p>
<p>Conclusion</p>
<p>The team may have gotten slightly worse than their alternative, but at this point, the benefits and evaluating of developing Yelich and Marisnick in the majors far outweigh the on-field proponent of this move. The 2013 season is a lost one anyway, so if the Fish endure hard times from either of their prospects, they are not tossing out any significant games. But if both players succeed, they can perhaps point to their early Major League experience as a benefit to their future Marlins careers. Given that the franchise suffers no cost for playing these guys earlier than expected, this turns out to be an excellent decision for the Marlins.</p>
<p>When the Fish face the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Colorado Rockies</a> tonight, they will boast an outfield of Yelich, Marisnick, and <span>Giancarlo Stanton</span>. This was the team's dream outfield when they acquired Marisnick, and it should be a fun outfield to watch in 2013.</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2013/7/23/4548472/miami-marlins-christian-yelich-jake-marisnick-promotion-analysisMichael Jong2013-07-23T00:50:35-04:002013-07-23T00:50:35-04:00Marlins news: Marlins promote Yelich, Marisnick
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<img alt="Christian Yelich will be taking his sweet swing to Miami along with Jake Marisnick." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UJVcX9NsqYxFQOK0BgV4nXUhArM=/227x0:3772x2363/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/16761355/20130714_jla_ae5_020.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Christian Yelich will be taking his sweet swing to Miami along with Jake Marisnick. | USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Miami Marlins surprised everyone (no one?) again with their aggressive promotion strategies, this time promoting top outfield prospects Christian Yelich and Jake Marisnick to the majors and sending down Marcell Ozuna and Derek Dietrich.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a> have been aggressive in promoting their young players to get Major League playing time in 2013. Whether it was due to injury necessity or poor play, the Fish were quick to pull the trigger on bringing up prospects <span>Marcell Ozuna</span> and <span>Derek Dietrich</span> to the majors earlier this season.</p>
<p>The Fish apparently are just as quick to send them back in favor of fresher faces. The Marlins have announced that they have <a href="http://joefrisaro.mlblogs.com/2013/07/22/marlins-call-up-yelich-marisnick/">promoted top outfield prospects</a> <span>Christian Yelich</span> and <span>Jake Marisnick</span> to the majors while demoting Ozuna and Dietrich, according to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com and other sources.</p>
<p>The move was speculated here in the comments earlier today. <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2013/7/22/4544816/miami-marlins-held-scoreless-for-37-consecutive-innings-and-counting#174400883">Witness the prescience</a> of Fish Stripes regular rsanchez1:</p>
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<p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Gotham Narrow SSm A', 'Gotham Narrow SSm B', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">You have to wonder, if the Fish continue being so bad at hitting, will it be reason to demote one of our young guys? Ozuna or Dietrich? The Marlins have Solano up now, and he could slot in and replace Dietrich. The Marlins will have Yellich waiting in the wings soon, and could decide the outfield issue by sending Ozuna back down to get some more work in.</span></p>
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<p>Given the struggles of the two players demoted, things cannot be that surprising. Prior to tonight's game, Ozuna was hitting just .138/.188/.246 (.194 wOBA) this month, while Dietrich was sporting a .204/.259/.389 (.277 wOBS) mark. Neither player was playing all that well, so it makes sense for the Fish to look for a change.</p>
<p>Yelich and Marisnick have been having star seasons in Double-A Jacksonville. When healthy, Yelich was hitting .277/.364/.518 (.395 wOBA), though there were questions about his newfound strikeout increase. Marisnick was still displaying raw plate discipline, but he was also hitting .295/.357/.504 (.390 wOBA). Both players were hitting well enough to earn a look in the big leagues.</p>
<p>Some might view these moves as premature, but the Marlins are both desperate for offensive production and have little to lose in promoting either player. The service time clock argument this late in the season is null and void, making this a pure half-season evaluation time period for two of the most important and exciting young prospects in the Marlins' system.</p>
<p>Stay tuned here at Fish Stripes for all of your coverage of tonight's breaking story. Check out the site tomorrow morning for more analysis and reaction from all angles!</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2013/7/23/4548022/miami-marlins-news-marlins-promote-prospect-outfielders-christianMichael Jong