Marlins trying Brian Anderson out in center field during spring training. What it means
As he made his first start at a new position, Brian Anderson was tested early and often Tuesday.
It began as he shielded his face from the sun as he tracked down Brandon Nimmo’s fly ball and made an easy catch for the first out of the game, one that he said helped him “get some of those nerves out of there.”
It continued as he ran toward the infield to cover a failed pickoff attempt and saw a barrage of baseballs — most in the air but a few on the ground, some routine plays and others a bit more challenging — come his way.
Overall, Anderson’s first spring training start at center field came with mixed results.
But the decision remains in line with a theme that has surfaced throughout the first two weeks of camp: The Miami Marlins are going to experiment with Anderson’s role heading into the season.
On Tuesday, that meant adding another position position in the field to his repertoire.
With expected starting center fielder Jesus Sanchez dealing with soreness, the Marlins had Anderson start in center field during their 10-0 spring training loss to the New York Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
They aren’t looking for anything flashy from Anderson as he works his way through the position nor do they plan to have him play there regularly.
But if Anderson can be serviceable in center field for occasional starts, it’s a benefit for the Marlins.
“We’re not asking for him to be a Gold Glover,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “You build your club this way. You’re going to have some deficiencies in certain ways. We’re asking him to do the best he can. And that’s all our guys. Be the best player you can be out there. Catch the balls you’re supposed to catch. Don’t try to do too much. We’ll see what it looks like.”
It didn’t look pretty at times Tuesday, but neither Anderson nor the Marlins are particularly concerned at this time.
While Anderson made most routine plays, there were some miscues and missteps during his six innings in the field.
In the third inning, for example, there was a miscommunication between him and right fielder Avisail Garcia on a blooper from Dominic Smith that fell between them for a two-out RBI single.
And in the fifth, Anderson appeared to have properly tracked a deep fly ball from Francisco Lindor but lost it as he turned his head while approaching the warning track. It was a two-out RBI double.
“Glad it was spring,” Mattingly said. “That’s where you find out what’s going on.”
Even with that, Mattingly has mentioned several times during spring training that he envisions Anderson to be an X-factor for the Marlins this season. The manager has praised the player’s defensive versatility — Anderson was a Gold Glove finalist at third base during the shortened 2020 season and has six defensive runs saved during his career as a right fielder thanks to his above-average arm — while comparing him to the Colorado Rockies’ Kris Bryant.
Anderson has already started receiving playing time this spring in left field, another position where he could make occasional starts at this season when Jorge Soler isn’t in the field.
Now, center field could potentially be added to the repertoire.
“Andy’s an athlete,” said Marlins first base coach Keith Johnson, who also works with the team’s outfielders. “I think you can put him anywhere. ... We’re just putting him out there and giving him some reps and some opportunities and going from there. It’s the same thing: Just go out there and just be an athlete. If you make a mistake or whatever, just minimize the magnitude of the mistake.”
The next steps from here, in Anderson’s eyes?
“We’re just gonna keep building from there,” Anderson said. “I’m not where I want to be, but if I’m gonna go out there, I’m gonna keep trying my best and give an effort and try to run down as many balls as I can.”
That could allow the Marlins to have some more flexibility with their roster.
It would allow Miami to keep Garcia in right field, although Garcia has expressed a willingness to play center field if needed.
And it would give Miami some more freedom with the way it rounds out its Opening Day roster.
Barring injury, Miami has 11 of its presumptive 13 position player spots filled: Anderson; catcher Jacob Stallings, first basemen/designated hitters Jesus Aguilar and Garrett Cooper; infielders Joey Wendle, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Miguel Rojas; outfielders Soler, Sanchez and Garcia; and utility player Jon Berti.
Their backup catcher, presumably Payton Henry (the only 40-man roster catcher outside of Stallings still in big-league camp), would be No. 12. That leaves room for one more guy, with non-roster invitees Willians Astudillo, Roman Quinn and Delino DeShields Jr. as possible candidates.
If the Marlins feel they need a true center fielder on their bench, that points to Quinn or Deshields getting the nod. If they feel comfortable with the grouping of Sanchez, Anderson and Berti getting the bulk of the center field playing time, that could open the path for the likes of Astudillo to break camp on the team. Miami would need to clear a space on the 40-man roster for any non-roster invitee.
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