Jeter knows the Marlins need to improve. How will they do it? There’s a lot to figure out
The Miami Marlins are fresh off a playoff run, their first in 17 years, and look like they are finally on the upswing three years into their rebuild under the Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter ownership group.
So what does that mean for this offseason, with the Marlins knowing they need to build off their momentum to avoid the notion that their success was a one-year fling in a shortened, 60-game season?
To Jeter, it means continuing with the process they have used for the past three years: Continue to build from within, find the occasional outside pickup and work to build sustainable success that has been lacking in the organization despite two World Series titles in its history.
“We always look at to see how we can improve as a team,” Jeter said Monday at the Marlins’ 12th-annual Thanksgiving food distribution at Marlins Park, during which the club handed out 1,000 dinner meal boxes to local families. “At the same time, like I’ve said before, we have to be careful because we built up our system. We have a lot of players that are at the top level of the minor leagues, and they’re knocking on the door. They’re gonna be ready. Who knows when they’re gonna be ready, but one thing you don’t want to do is you don’t want to block them and you don’t want to block their development when given their opportunity. Having said that, you do sit down and say ‘Look, how are we going to get better?’ And we need to get better.”
Translation: There’s still a lot to figure out.
The Marlins, who went 31-29 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and reached the National League Division Series as part of an expanded playoff field, saw glimpses of what they have in house. In addition to marked improvement from their starting rotation (namely Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez) and position players (Brian Anderson, Miguel Rojas and Garrett Cooper), the Marlins had a club-record 18 players make their MLB debuts, including eight ranked among the top 11 in the organization by MLB Pipeline. Some were called up earlier than anticipated due to the team’s COVID-19 outbreak early in the season. All at one point or another went through the struggles typical for rookies reaching the big leagues for the first time.
Miami patched together timely wins to reach the playoffs in a 60-game schedule, but would they have had the same fate over the course of a normal 162-game slate? That’s the question that still needs to be answered.
“I know we have a little bit of success here in 2020,” Jeter said, “but by no stretch of the imagination are we where we want to be.”
There’s also the fact that new general manager Kim Ng, who is in her second full week on the job, is still familiarizing herself with all the ins and outs of the organization.
That process — “information overload,” as Jeter describes it — will eventually play itself out and moves will be made, whether it’s making a big free agent signing or trade or doing most of the work from within. Thirteen of the Marlins’ top-30 prospects, it should be noted, are part of the 40-man roster. Most of whom either made their debut last season or are expected to be in either Double A or Triple A to start the 2021 season.
“We want to continue to make progress,” Jeter said, “but at the same time you’ve got to keep in mind that we said we had a plan when we got here and we’re gonna stick with that plan. A lot of young players that came up and got an opportunity, probably a little bit earlier than anyone thought they would because of the situation and the circumstances that we were dealing with. We’re going to continue to give those kids an opportunity to play. That’s what we said from Day 1. We built our minor league system and it’s to a point where you have to find out who’s going to be here for the long run. We’re gonna stick to the plan that we have in place and that’s having patience with our players, but we need to continue to make progress guys need to continue to get better.”
About the Thanksgiving distribution
Jeter and a slew of front-office members, current players and alumni joined the Marlins Foundation in handing out meals on Monday. Among those also in attendance were majority owner Bruce Sherman, chief operating officer Caroline O’Connor, chief revenue officer Adam Jones, pitchers Pablo Lopez and Dan Castano, Marlins alumni Gaby Sanchez and Alex Gonzalez, and Miami-Dade County mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
Each meal box will contain approximately 40 pounds of food, serving more than 20,000 meals.
“Considering everything that’s gone on this year, it’s so extra meaningful,” Jeter said, “but yeah, we said early on right when we took over the organization that we wanted this to be the community’s team and part of that is being here to support the community. We’re very happy with what we’ve been able to do during this year here, but we’ll continue to do this this is just something that like I said I do feel as though if you’re in this position, it’s the right thing to do.”
This story was originally published November 23, 2020 at 6:29 PM.
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