Why Miami Marlins’ Kim Ng isn’t reading too much into Corey Dickerson’s lackluster 2020
As general manager Kim Ng continues to evaluate the Miami Marlins’ roster and any possible additions to make this offseason, she wants to make one point clear: Her evaluations are focusing more on long-term results more so than any potential aberration that might have occurred during MLB’s pandemic-shortened 60-game regular season.
“When you look at a sample size that small, I think you have to be really careful about taking that as if it’s in stone,” Ng said Tuesday. “You have to look at a player’s track record. Whether that’s two seasons, three seasons, it depends. But to take that really small sample and extrapolate it and think it would be the same over 162 games is probably a mistake.”
Enter outfielder Corey Dickerson into that conversation. The Marlins signed the steady-hitting left fielder to a two-year deal last offseason with the hopes he would provide consistent offense for a team that desperately needed it. The results were lackluster.
Dickerson, 31, posted a .258 batting average with career-low slugging (.402) and OPS (.713) marks over 52 regular-season games. It was just the second time in eight big-league seasons that Dickerson finished a year with a sub-.260 batting average.
“I think he’s hit .300 more times than he hasn’t over the course of his career,” Ng said of Dickerson, who finished above that mark four times, including both 2018 and 2019 seasons before joining the Marlins. “And I think when we look at him, we expect that we’ll see a better Corey Dickerson hopefully over the entire length of the season.”
As the roster stands, the left-handed-hitting Dickerson is expected to start the majority of games in left field in 2021. Starling Marte, who the Marlins obtained at the trade deadline last season and picked up his $12.5 million option, should get the bulk of the reps in center field.
That leaves likely two roster spots left for the Marlins to fill with outfielders depending on how they fill out their bench for 2021.
And they have a slew of candidates to choose from. Lewis Brinson is the veteran of the bunch and showed steady progress toward the end of the season. Jesus Sanchez and Monte Harrison, the Marlins’ Nos. 5 and 10 prospects according to MLB Pipeline, figure to compete for a spot in spring training. Magneuris Sierra, the speedy lefty, could also factor into the equation, as could Harold Ramirez.
“I would encourage people to look at the outfield as something that we’ll have some production out of it,” Ng said. “We’ll have some athleticism and we’ll also have some competition. ... There’s this great mix of veterans as well as younger players with with a lot of athleticism, so we’re really looking forward to seeing what guys bring to the table this spring.”
Bullpen update
Ng had high praises for both Paul Campbell and Zach Pop, the pair of relievers they added on Thursday. Campbell is already the club’s No. 25 ranked prospects and could factor in as a long-reliever. Pop, Ng said, was “touted as one of the better relievers in the minor leagues” before undergoing Tommy John surgery early in 2019. Since both have Rule 5 Draft restrictions (the Marlins selected Campbell in the Rule 5 Draft and traded for Pop after he was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks), both will have to stay on Miami’s active MLB roster for all of the 2021 season or else be returned to their former clubs.
Ng was quick to note that the Marlins’ restructuring of its bullpen isn’t over yet.
”We anticipate acquiring more arms,” Ng said. “Whether that’s by a trade or the free agent market, I’m not sure at this point. But I will tell you we’ve got a handful of relievers that we have targeted.”
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