Why the Marlins say they have ‘good problems’ with tough roster decisions looming
Michael Hill, the Miami Marlins’ president of baseball operations, knows there are tough decisions looming.
The Marlins’ 40-man roster is arguably the deepest that it has been in years with the addition of top prospects and offseason acquisitions obtained since the start of this latest rebuild began three years ago.
With Opening Day against the Philadelphia Phillies on March 26 just two weeks away — and the Marlins needing to show they are in a position to improve from last season’s 57-105 record — Hill, the front office and the big-league coaching staff has a lot to think about as they start finalizing their 26-man active roster.
They value the players they have on their 40-man roster at this point. It includes 12 of their top-30 prospects. Twenty-nine of the 40 have been added since the Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter ownership group took over.
But Miami still has some potential holes to fill on the big-league roster for this season. The bullpen is still a work in progress, and manager Don Mattingly said three position player spots — two on the bench and one that would get “probably more at-bats” — are still up for grabs.
That opens the door for some non-roster invites the Marlins have in spring training — outfielder Matt Kemp and relief pitchers Brad Boxberger, Aaron Northcraft and Josh A. Smith are a few notables — to potentially crack the roster if Miami can justify the moves.
“We talked about just how much harder those decisions are becoming because the overall talent in the organization is improved and it’s gotten better,” Hill said Wednesday. “Those are good problems to have because it means the overall depth has gotten better. But now as we look toward the end of camp, we have to put a 26-man roster together. That’ll be the challenge of upstairs, downstairs to work together to put the best 26 on the field.”
The Marlins’ hitters
Ten of the 13 roster spots for position players seem to be set. First baseman Jesus Aguilar, second baseman Isan Diaz, shortstop Miguel Rojas, third baseman Brian Anderson, and catchers Jorge Alfaro and Francisco Cervelli should round out the infield. Corey Dickerson, Jonathan Villar and Matt Joyce look to be locks in the outfield. Jon Berti should be the super-utility backup.
That leaves three spots, one to platoon with Joyce in right field and two for the bench. The contenders: Kemp, Garrett Cooper, Lewis Brinson, Harold Ramirez, Magneuris Sierra and Monte Harrison.
A luxury the Marlins have: All of the primary contenders with the exception of Sierra have minor-league options, meaning they don’t necessarily have to make the Opening Day roster to stay in the organization.
Hill said he has liked what he is seeing from Brinson, who came into Wednesday with a .370 batting average, three home runs and a lot of hard contact this spring.
“I don’t think the success you’re seeing in spring training is a fluke,” Hill said. “He put in a lot of hours this offseason to just put himself on a firmer mechanical base to allow his hands to work more. I think everyone sees that the swing has been better and the production has been better. That’s good for Lewis, good for us. We hope it continues throughout the rest of spring and gives us a great option as we look to finalize the club.”
Ramirez has been a steady hitter since making his MLB debut with the Marlins last season, Cooper can play both first base and right field, and Sierra is one of the better defensive options and the biggest threat among the groups on the basepaths.
Asked about Kemp, who would need to be added to the 40-man roster, Hill said the Marlins are “not making judgments solely on spring training, but you just want to see a consistent approach and I think that’s what you ask of all of our position players who are trying to win a job. Who’s going to be the most consistent and give us the best opportunity to win games?”
The Marlins’ pitching
The Marlins have eight pitchers — Sandy Alcantara, Caleb Smith, Pablo Lopez, Jose Urena, Jordan Yamamoto, Elieser Hernandez, Robert Dugger and Nick Neidert — competing for five starting rotation spots this spring. The main battle, though, is the final spot between Yamamoto, Hernandez, Dugger and Neidert.
Neidert, the Marlins’ No. 10 overall prospect, will likely start the season in Triple A Wichita. The two who ended up on the outside of the rotation could potentially end up as part of Miami’s bullpen.
“As we all know, you end up using it seems like 10 or 12 starters every year,” Mattingly said, “so do you deplete your depth with starters if you put them in the bullpen and they’re not being used enough? It depends on how comfortable you are with your depth with your starting pitching.”
The biggest questions come with the bullpen, which the Marlins overhauled this offseason.
Miami added Sterling Sharp in the Rule 5 draft, traded with the Yankees for Stephen Tarpley, signed Brandon Kintzler and Yimi Garcia as free agents, and retained Adam Conley, Ryne Stanek, Drew Steckenrider and Jeff Brigham from last year’s team. Non-roster invites Boxberger, Northcraft and Josh A. Smith — who have combined to give up one run this spring — have caught the team’s eye, but 40-man spots would need to be cleared to put any of them on the roster.
Brigham (right biceps soreness) is expected to open the season on the injured list. Stanek (back stiffness) and Steckenrider could face the same fate.
“It’s always better when you feel like you have the options internally,” Hill said. “Whichever direction we go, you feel good with that direction.”
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