How Joey Wendle’s ‘multidimensionality’ gives the Marlins a chance to bolster their lineup
For the past four seasons, Joey Wendle played for the team across the state whose philosophy the Miami Marlins are trying to replicate.
With the Tampa Bay Rays, Wendle reached the playoffs three times and had a trip to the World Series in during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
He has seen what it’s like to be part of a team that thrives despite a low a payroll.
The secret?
“It takes selflessness,” said Wendle, who the Marlins acquired in a trade with the Rays in exchange for outfielder prospect Kameron Misner. “If you’re not a large market team, if you’re not getting the biggest, most expensive free agents on the market, then you have to win as a team. You have to be greater than the sum of your parts and I think selflessness goes a long way for that and just that team aspect of ‘OK, so we’re not going to do this like some of the heavy hitters. We’re going to do this a little differently.’ We have to know our roles to know it as a team.”
Wendle’s role is to provide a steady veteran presence and left-handed bat into the Marlins’ infield.
As for exactly where or how often he’ll play? That hasn’t been decided yet.
The 31-year-old and one-time All-Star has primarily played third base over the last two seasons but also has experience playing second base and shortstop. He’s a career .274 hitter with 88 doubles, 14 triples, 27 home runs, 167 RBI and 205 runs scored over 436 games spanning six seasons (two with the Athletics, four with the Rays).
His presence gives Marlins manager Don Mattingly a better opportunity to creates his lineup based on matchups.
He now has four feasible options to play at second base, shortstop and third base on a daily basis: Jazz Chisholm Jr. (second base and shortstop), Miguel Rojas (all three spots, although he’s the team’s primary shortstop), Joey Wendle (all three spots) and Brian Anderson (third base). Chisholm and Wendle are both left-handed hitters. Rojas and Anderson are right-handed hitters.
“You can put him at different positions, and we can be flexible with it,” Marlins general manager Kim Ng said of Wendle. “So I think whenever someone needs a spell — we dealt with a lot of injuries last year — in terms of multidimensionality and flexibility, that is something that we’ve seen the industry go to. So I think he’s a tremendous add for us.”
The strategy is there, but do the Marlins have the pieces to become playoff contenders? Wendle thinks so.
To Wendle, just like the Marlins, it starts with the pitching staff led by Sandy Alcantara — a group Wendle said he’s thankful he doesn’t have to face anymore.
Then consider the other players the Marlins added this offseason — Gold Glove catcher Jacob Stallings and a middle-of-the-order bat in Avisail Garcia — plus the return of the likes of Jesus Aguilar and Garrett Cooper as well as the hopeful jump youngsters like Jesus Sanchez, Bryan De La Cruz and Lewin Diaz will make next season, and Wendle likes the composition of the roster.
(A note: The Marlins say they aren’t done making moves and hope to add at least one more outfielder once the new collective bargaining agreement is in place and MLB’s player lockout ends).
“There’s a lot of exciting arms from top to bottom and position players, as well,” Wendle said. “Just looking at the pieces that are in place, I’m excited.”
This story was originally published December 9, 2021 at 12:12 PM.
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