With trade deadline looming, Marlins’ series with Mets could be critical juncture
Marlins manager Don Mattingly has made it clear multiple times. Every game and every series is important this season. Every win and every loss is essentially multiplied by nearly three in a 60-game season.
But Miami is now reaching a critical juncture in this abbreviated season. The Marlins enter their four-game series against the New York Mets at Citi Field with a 12-11 record, second in the National League East and about one-and-a-half games above the Mets for a playoff spot. With the Mets nipping at the Marlins from third place in the division standings and with MLB’s trade deadline looming Monday, how the team performs during the next few days could play a significant role in how they play out the final month of their season.
A series win makes it realistic that Miami ends up as buyers ahead of the trade deadline. Falling out of playoff positioning, however, could change those plans.
“That’s always our goal,” Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said Sunday, “to be a playoff team. That hasn’t changed from Day 1. Where we are now, we know we still have a long way to go in a short season. We have a number of doubleheaders still to play, so we have to take things one day at a time, which has been our philosophy, but it’s definitely an exciting time.”
The simplest way for the Marlins to hold onto a playoff spot at the end of this series is to at least split its four games with the Mets (12-14). That starts with Tuesday’s doubleheader that is expected to feature the debut of pitcher Trevor Rogers, the No. 9 overall prospect in the Marlins’ organization, in the second game.
The Atlanta Braves, who came into Tuesday leading the NL East with a 16-12 record, are hosting the New York Yankees for the next three days.
“We’re one of the playoff teams right now,” Hill said. “As we head to the 31st, the market will tell us what we’re able to do. We were able to make an early trade last year and then we were able to make a couple more on deadline day. I think it’s just a matter of what the market presents.”
And, as a reminder: The Marlins have themselves in playoff position despite still being without 16 players who tested positive for COVID-19. Hill on Sunday specifically named four key pitchers — starters Sandy Alcantara, Caleb Smith and Jose Urena as well as late-inning reliever Yimi Garcia — as those who are close to returning. Shortstop Miguel Rojas and catcher Jorge Alfaro have already rejoined the club.
Couple that with the strides being seen by the mainstays already on the active roster, and Miami is making a run at being a dark horse postseason team. Pablo Lopez and Elieser Hernandez have impressed as the de facto top two pitchers in the rotation.
Miami’s veteran position players starting to heat up at the plate, too, while also serving as mentor’s for the club’s rising prospects. Matt Joyce, who joined the active roster as part of the first wave of callups after testing positive for COVID-19 prior to the season, entered Tuesday riding a seven-game hitting streak. Corey Dickerson, who slumped to a .200 batting average at one point, entered the Mets series riding a nine-game hit streak with a .351 batting average and two home runs in that stretch. Jonathan Villar has hits in 10 of his past 11 starts and leads MLB with eight stolen bases.
“We’re taking the mind-set [that] we want to win now,” Joyce said. “I think we have the right components. Obviously, we’ve got some guys who play key roles coming back soon. I think we have the right personnel. We’ve got the right guys to not only help turn this organization around and win, but provide the experience, the leadership and anything we can give the younger guys.”
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