MLB Team Preview Series - Miami Marlins
SteemSports Presenter: @bbleehehh9
SteemSports Editor: @theprophet0
Impact Additions:
Starlin Castro, Lewis Brinson, Cameron Maybin
Key Departures:
Everyone. The entire team is gone. Ok, seriously: Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, Christian Yelich, Dee Gordon, Ichiro Suzuki, A.J. Ellis
Projected Lineup:
LF - Derek Dietrich
3B - Martin Prado
1B - Justin Bour
2B - Starlin Castro
C - J.T. Realmuto
RF - Lewis Brinson
CF - Cameron Maybin
SS - J.T. Riddle
Projected Rotation:
Dan Straily
Wei-Yin Chen (may begin season on DL)
Jose Urena
Dillon Peters
Justin Nicolino
Projected Closer:
Brad Ziegler
Kyle Barraclough / Drew Steckenrider
The Marlins went through an ownership change near the end of the 2017 season and have been tasked with cutting payroll and rebuilding from the ground up. With Derek Jeter at the helm as the general manager, the Marlins dealt away their four biggest stars this winter, sending Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees, Marcell Ozuna to the Cardinals, Christian Yelich to the Brewers and Dee Gordon to the Mariners. They’re also still reportedly shopping star backstop J.T. Realmuto with a high likelihood that he doesn’t finish the season in Miami.
To expect the Marlins to field a competitive ballclub in 2018, especially with their laughable starting rotation would be crazy. It’s going to be a painful year for a club that already struggled to draw fans while they were playing well and had actual star attractions in the lineup.
The farm system has been restocked through the wheeling and dealing this off-season, but it’s going to be at least a couple of years before the Marlins can even think about competing in the National League East. Expect any veterans that remain on the roster (Brad Ziegler, Starlin Castro, Martin Prado, Dan Straily) to be trade bait come July as the team continues their rebuilding process.
Fantasy Sleeper - Lewis Brinson - OF
Lewis Brinson is the headliner of the package of prospects that the Marlins received from the Brewers in the Christian Yelich deal. While his path to the big leagues was blocked in Milwaukee, the 23-year-old will step right into the lineup in Miami and learn as he goes. He owns a dynamic blend of power and speed, having slashed a mighty .331/.400/.562 with 13 homers, 48 RBI and 11 stolen bases in only 76 games at Triple-A Colorado Springs. His ADP sits at just over 300 in NFBC leagues, putting him in the 21st round of 15-team drafts. The upside far outweighs the risk at that cost, making him a very intriguing commodity.
Fantasy Bust - Jose Urena - SP
Casual fantasy players will glance at the shiny 14-7 record and 3.82 ERA from a season ago and believe (wrongly) that there’s a useable starting pitcher here. There isn’t. Even in his breakout season, he posted an absurdly low 5.99 K/9. His xFIP, which portends to take luck out of the equation, estimates that his fielding-independent ERA should’ve been around 5.29 last season, which looks to be accurate given his actual skill set. I wouldn’t draft him on any team, ever, regardless of his ADP.
Team Projection
It’s not really a bold prediction, but I anticipate the Marlins to finish in the cellar of the National League East. The real battle for them, will be whether or not they finish with the worst record in all of baseball. They have a few exciting young pieces, like Lewis Brinson, Sandy Alcantara, J.T. Realmuto and Justin Bour, but this club will be a difficult watch this year, especially after the All-Star break. They have to hope that Jeter and Co. are correct in their prospect evaluations and didn’t simply give away their ridiculous young talent for too little of a return.
many good wishes
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