The Marlins have an idea of their 2020 roster. The question becomes: Who plays where?
In a dream albeit improbable scenario, Jon Berti would find a way to play every position on the field during a game.
Berti, a shortstop by trade, became a super-utility player for the Miami Marlins in his long-awaited rookie season in 2019. You won’t see him behind the plate at catcher or on the mound as a pitcher. First base is also an unlikely spot for the 5-10 Berti.
But his defensive skill set exemplifies, maybe a bit to an extreme, what the Marlins are looking for with their roster in the 2020 season: Versatility.
It’s a powerful tool for manager Don Mattingly. He has the ability to tinker with his lineups, play around with different alignments and find ways to get his best hitters in the lineup with hopefully minimal sacrifice on defense.
The one question that pops up: What position will become each player’s priority?
That’s the Marlins’ goal during the next five weeks.
The Marlins have a good idea how the bulk of their 26-man roster will pan out when the season begins against the Philadelphia Phillies on March 26.
Mattingly said on the first day of spring training that about 20 spots are set barring something unexpected.
But their exact roles? Those are still to be determined. The first true crack at identifying that comes Saturday when the Marlins begin their Grapefruit League schedule against the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie.
It’s the start of a 31-game tuneup that the Marlins hope will be the start to them shaking off a 57-105 season from that season that put them as the worst team in the National League and fourth-worst team in Major League Baseball.
Berti epitomizes this versatility. So does nonroster invite Sean Rodriguez, who has started at least 35 games at every position except catcher.
But they aren’t alone.
Brian Anderson can play strong defense at third base and in right field. Garrett Cooper can play first base and in the corner outfield spots. Miguel Rojas can play anywhere in the infield although they plan to play him primarily at shortstop.
“Just giving Donnie as many options as possible to put the best team on the field every day,” Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said.
The biggest telling point about how many moving parts the team has during the season, though, might very well come down to Jonathan Villar.
The seven-year MLB veteran is a natural middle infielder, spending most of his career at second base and shortstop. However, the Marlins are experimenting this spring with Villar playing center field.
Villar has played eight career games in center field and 13 total in the outfield. His last start in center came in 2017 with the Milwaukee Brewers.
“I’m here for the team,” Villar said. “They want to see if I can play center field. I’ll try. I want to play every day, and help the team. In whatever situation, if I can play another position, I’ll do it.”
The scenarios
If Villar in center pans out, and Isan Diaz shows enough to keep his hold as the starting second baseman, the Marlins could have a little more structure in their lineup. Anderson will likely be the primary third baseman, which leaves right field open to a combination of Cooper, Matt Joyce, Matt Kemp, Harold Ramirez, Lewis Brinson and Magneuris Sierra that will be sorted out in spring.
Anderson would be joined regularly in the infield by Miguel Rojas at shortstop, Diaz at second and either Cooper or Jesus Aguilar at first base. Jorge Alfaro and Francisco Cervelli would be the catchers.
Berti would serve as the super-utility backup who can start at six positions.
If the Villar-to-center experiment doesn’t work out, however, the Marlins would likely have a lot of moving parts.
Villar roaming the infield. Anderson bouncing between third and right. A competition for starts in center field as well as figuring out who starts in right field when Anderson isn’t out there.
“There’s options with whatever way we go,” Mattingly said.
Staying ready
Until they know how the options are going to pan out, the Marlins are preparing for just about every scenario possible.
That includes players who bounce between the infield and the outfield putting in time on their own before or after their two-hour daily practices to make sure they’re comfortable at whatever spot they might end up.
“These guys are professionals,” Hill said. “They know what they have to do to get themselves sharp.”
It also means having an open dialogue with players about the possible scenarios that could unfold.
“Just making sure we’re having conversations with guys so that they know these are possibilities,” Mattingly said. “Things can change. Guys can get hurt. This is our best lineup with you out there. The best-laid plans, you’re always going to have to make adjustments as you go. You hope not to, though.”
Finding their identity
As the Marlins start shaping their roster for the 2020 season, they are also starting to craft the identity they want for this club moving forward.
This is a team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2009 and hasn’t made the postseason since winning the World Series in 2003.
They want change.
They have the next five weeks to evaluate how much will come.
“You don’t know quite what your identity is until you have your personnel on the field and see what’s going on with them and what they’re going to do,” Mattingly said. “But I think the one identity we want is we want a club that starts to exude that confidence and starts to show a little bit of swag and to have a little bit of pushback and expectation that we’re better than this.”
This story was originally published February 20, 2020 at 11:16 AM.
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