We Hit Dingers: MLB Offseason Preview

Friday, November 11, 2016

Miami Marlins

National League	East Division
79-82	15.5 GB of Division Lead
Manager: Don Mattingly	GM: Michael Hill
AAA Affiliate New Orleans Zephyrs	AA Affiliate Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp

Traded SP Jarred Cosart and 1B Josh Naylor to San Diego for SP Andrew Cashner and P Tayron Guerrero
Traded P Chris Paddack to San Diego for RP Fernando Rodney

POS.	Name	Level
P	Braxton Garrett	Rookie

Jose Fernandez - Fernandez was the Marlins' best pitcher all season long and arguably the best pitcher in the National League this year before the season, and his life, were cut tragically short in a boating accident in September. 2016 was looking like it would be Fernandez's first full season in the majors since his rookie year in 2013 after missing parts of two seasons due to Tommy John surgery. He made 29 starts this season yet still managed to be tied with others at tenth in the majors in wins, third in strikeouts, and first in strikeouts per nine. It seems that Fernandez was on the path to winning the NL Cy Young Award this year, as he just got better as the season progressed. It was also evident that he had yet to reach his peak considering the raw talent he possessed. Fernandez will be greatly missed, not just for his on-field talents, but also the personality that he brought to the game in the same way that Pedro Martinez did. You could always see that Jose loved the game similar to how a Little Leaguer loves the game; it was his passion and he never pitched for a paycheck. He will be greatly by baseball fans all over, not just Marlins' fans.

Success - Miami made significant strides in their development as a team with their ultimate goal being to reach the playoffs, and eventually, the World Series. They were actually able to stay in the Wild Card race until late in the season and were even in the playoffs as the second Wild Card team on August 1. The season was also a success for the team as ace pitcher Jose Fernandez improved even more, building on his already stellar, young career. Outfielders Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna had great seasons, taking the next step forward in their young careers.

The Marlins probably could have been a playoff team next season had Jose Fernandez not passed away. Now, the team will need to figure out what to do with their pitching staff, and primarily who will be their number one starter, since a player of Fernandez's magnitude is irreplaceable. There also isn't a lot of starting pitching talent on the free agent market this offseason, but they will have to do something. Giancarlo Stanton was a problem area for the Marlins this season, batting just .240 and failing to hit 30 home runs. He needs to be more consistent for a team that struggled to drive in runs and, even if Stanton returns to his normally productive ways, the Marlins will still need to acquire players to help produce more runs. I think that if Miami still desires to be a playoff team, and they will still be close, they will have to do so through their offense because their pitching staff will take a big step back next year. Although there aren't any pitchers of ace caliber available, there are other pitchers on the market to eat up innings, including Hisashi Iwakuma, Jason Hammel, and Rich Hill, although Hill could be costly. Mitch Moreland could be an option for the team to meet their power need and he plays first base, a position that the Marlins aren't locked down at. They also will have needs in their bullpen and a pitcher like Mark Melancon could be a quality fit for the team.

*All stats and information come from baseball-reference.com, fangraphs.com, rosterresource.com, baseballamerica.com, and spotrac.com