Miguel Rojas talks Marlins expectations heading into 2021. And an arbitration primer
The end goal is not lost on Miguel Rojas. The Miami Marlins’ shortstop and de facto team captain still takes pride in the team’s playoff berth last season, especially after the Marlins overcame their early season COVID-19 outbreak.
But that was just the first step as the Marlins try to position themselves to be annual postseason contenders.
“We’re not thinking because we made it to the playoffs that the job is done,” Rojas said Wednesday on MLB Network’s “International Talk.” “We’ve got a long ways to go.”
Especially as they face a National League East that has gotten noticeably more competitive.
The Mets signed catcher James McCann and traded for star shortstop Francisco Lindor and starter Carlos Corrasco.
The Nationals traded for first baseman Josh Bell and signed left fielder/designated hitter (assuming the NL has a DH again) Kyle Schwarber.
The three-time defending NL East champion Braves signed Charlie Morton to beef up a rotation that already has Mike Soroka, Max Fried and Ian Anderson. And that offense? It’s still plenty dangerous even without Marcell Ozuna or Adam Duvall.
According to FanGraphs’ ZiPS team projections, the Marlins right now are estimated to finish fifth in NL East with a 73-89 record, three games behind Phillies in fourth. The Braves are still the front-runner at 92-70, but the Mets right on their heels at 91-71. The Nationals are predicted to finish at 85-77.
But the Marlins, Rojas said, don’t plan to shy away from the challenge.
“We’re never going to go away from trying to prove ourselves that we can belong at the top,” Rojas said. “... We are trying to prove ourselves that we can go into the top of the division and we’re going to go for that.”
Arbitration primer
The MLB deadline for teams to agree to contract terms with their arbitration-eligible players is 1 p.m. Friday. If deals are not reached, both sides will exchange salary figures for the upcoming season and a hearing will be held in February. The case would be brought before a panel of arbitrators to determine the player’s salary for the 2021 season. Teams can continue to negotiate terms between Friday’s deadline and the hearing, but the Marlins typically don’t as a so-called file and trial club.
Miami has five players eligible for arbitration whose contract situations have not been settled. The five, with their projected salaries per MLB Trade Rumors, are:
▪ Third baseman Brian Anderson, projected to make between $2.2 million and $4.3 million.
▪ Catcher Jorge Alfaro, projected to make between $1.7 million and $2.2 million.
▪ Relief pitcher Yimi Garcia, projected to make between $1.4 million and $1.8 million.
▪ Relief pitcher Richard Bleier, projected to make between $.1.1 million and $1.5 million.
▪ Relief pitcher Adam Cimber, projected to make between $800,000 and $1 million.
The Marlins already struck deals with two of their arbitration-eligible players in first basemen Jesus Aguilar ($4.35 million) and Cooper ($1.8 million).
Marte among MLB’s top center fielders
MLB Network has began rolling out lists of top 10 players by position this week.
On Wednesday, the third installment, the Marlins finally had a player crack one of the lists with Starling Marte being ranked as the No. 9 center fielder in baseball right now.
Marte, a nine-year major-leaguer, immediately shored up the Marlins’ center field situation after they acquired him from the Arizona Diamondbacks at the trade deadline. He only hit .245 for Miami in 28 regular-season games after the trade but his career .287/.341/.450 slash line and the fact that he has hit at least .275 in every big-league season outside of his debut year in 2013 gives the Marlins hope that he will have an uptick in production for 2021.
The Marlins picked up his $12.5 million team option at the start of the offseason.
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