The Miami Marlins are a walking disaster once again. Following a surprising 77-85 season in 2014, the Marlins were a chic playoff pick heading into 2015 season.
“They have the best outfield in baseball!” said many (myself included)
“They have a great young rotation!” said many (myself included)
“They had a great winter!” said many (myself included)
Of course, 2015 hasn’t gone as expected for the Marlins. Through 114 games, the Marlins are 46-68. They’re 16 games out in the NL East. Among all MLB teams, only the Phillies have a worse record.
Those struggles have led to the Marlins once again hitting the reset button. Since the season started, the Marlins released starting catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, traded closer Steve Cishek to the Cardinals, dumped offseason acquisitions Mat Latos and Michael Morse into the Dodgers’ laps (though LA did move Morse to the Pirates), and sent starter Dan Haren to the Cubs…while keeping all but $500,000 of the $10 million the Dodgers sent with Haren this offseason.
Miami also would move Martin Prado, acquired this winter from the Yankees, for the right offer.
If a team like #Yankees is willing to overpay, #Marlins are certainly open to waiver trade of Martin Prado
— Joe Frisaro (@JoeFrisaro) August 13, 2015
I’m assuming that the “right offer” would result in the acquiring team eating the bulk of the $11 million salary owed to Prado next year while the Marlins keep the $3 million sent to them to cover some of Prado’s salary by the Yankees in the trade.
Going into 2016, the Marlins have just $29.45 million committed to their payroll. $8 million of that is going to Saltalamacchia, currently playing for the Diamondbacks. $11 million is going to Prado, though the Yankees are covering $3 million of that. The other three players with guaranteed salaries in Miami next season are Giancarlo Stanton ($9 million), Christian Yelich ($1 million), and oddly, reliever Mike Dunn ($3.45 million).
Miami is also playing games with 24-year old center fielder Marcell Ozuna, and I’m sure those have nothing to do at all with trying to manipulate his service time. After breaking out in 2014 with 23 homers, Ozuna got off to a slow start in 2015, hitting just .249/.301/.337 with four homers in 79 games. He was demoted to AAA at the beginning of July, and has hit .304/.366/.554 with five homers in 31 games at the level since. With Ozuna in the minors, Miami has rolled out 31-year old journeyman Cole Gillespie in center, who has provided the team with a .309/.358/.454 line in 35 games. This situation almost reminds of the Marlins putting too much faith in a 2012 hot streak from the 30-year old Justin Ruggiano, only to watch him flop when given a full-time role in 2013. Oddly enough, Ruggiano took playing time away from Ozuna in 2013.
ATLANTA – SEPTEMBER 29: Dan Uggla #6 of the Florida Marlins against David Ross #8 of the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field on September 29, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
This isn’t the first time the Marlins have hit the reset button. They’re on track for their sixth straight season with a record under .500. After the 2010 season, their first under .500 in this streak, the Marlins traded Andrew Miller, Cameron Maybin, and Dan Uggla for Omar Infante and four relievers. After the 2011 season, Miami traded for manager Ozzie Guillen and made a massive splash in the free agent market by signing Heath Bell, Mark Buehrle, and Jose Reyes. In July of 2012, the Marlins traded Infante, Anibal Sanchez, Hanley Ramirez, Edward Mujica, and Gaby Sanchez for seven players, the best of which was Nate Eovaldi.
After the 2012 season, the reset button was pushed in earnest as the team traded Bell, Emilio Bonifacio, Buehrle, Josh Johnson, and Reyes for a smorgasbord of players. Justin Nicolino is still a solid prospect in the organization, while Derek Dietrich (acquired for Yunel Escobar a couple weeks after the Blue Jays blockbuster) has bounced between the majors and minors struggling for playing time. Jeff Mathis is a stalwart backup catcher for the team, and Adeiny Hechavarria has been the team’s starting shortstop for three years running.. Henderson Alvarez took over a spot in the rotation, but has been a non-factor this year because of injuries. Anthony DeSclafani was flipped for the now departed Latos, while Marisnick was flipped as part of the trade for the injured Jarred Cosart.
Since then, the tear down has been more modest, but just as appalling. Long-time starter Ricky Nolasco was traded for three relievers, none of whom are still in the organization two years later. Logan Morrison was moved to Seattle for reliever Carter Capps, who pitched well this year, but is on the DL with an elbow injury. First round pick Andrew Heaney was part of the Dee Gordon/Haren trade this winter, and has a 2.53 ERA in nine starts for the Angels this year. Eovaldi was traded for Prado and David Phelps. Casey McGehee was traded for (wait for it…) two more minor league pitchers, and was re-signed this summer after the Giants released him. The team has traded their competitive balance draft picks in three straight seasons.
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 21: Jose Reyes #7 of the Miami Marlins looks on after an out against the New York Mets at Citi Field on September 21, 2012 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/Getty Images)
What’s going on in this organization is mind-numbing, because the same damn thing seemingly happens every year. Marlins have young talent, play well, think they can contend, acquire veterans, struggle, proceed to trade everyone with a pulse. Over the last ten years, the Marlins have escaped the bottom five in payroll just twice – in 2011 and 2012. From 2012 to 2013, they slashed their payroll by 50%. They’ve traded three competitive balance draft picks, the player they took ninth overall in 2012, and the player they took sixth overall in 2013 (Colin Moran, who was part of the Cosart deal).
When is enough going to be enough? When are the Marlins actually going to commit to SOMETHING? Heading into 2016, the team has two corner outfielders locked up long-term, a center fielder whose service time is being suppressed, a third baseman they’re trying to trade, a shortstop who is having a breakout year with a .313 OBP, a second baseman that has walked in 2.9% of his plate appearances, a first baseman that was a 27-year old Rule 5 pick, and a Catcher Of The Future with a .283 career OBP, replacing the Catcher Of The Future that had a .298 career OBP with the club.
I can’t wait until this winter, when the Marlins trade Prado for relievers and salary relief, trade Nicolino for a veteran starting pitcher a year away from free agency, and refuse to trade any of their relievers with their value at its highest point. The strategy each year never changes, and until it does, the team will continue to dwell in baseball purgatory.
