Marlins’ Schumaker offers lineup, position updates. Chisholm to meet with Griffey
New Marlins manager Skip Schumaker addressed some lineup and personnel issues during his Media Day briefing on Friday:
▪ He said general manager Kim Ng and the staff “have done an incredible job addressing deficiencies in our team.”
He said he was teammates with Johnny Cueto, added to the rotation in free agency, and he’s excited to have his “mentality every fifth day.”
Beyond the offensive skills, “what stuck out with [Luis] Arraez and [Jean] Segura, is they just want to win. Segura wants to get back to the World Series” after making it with Philadelphia last season. “I’m excited to get in front of the players. It’s exciting for our new staff.”
▪ He said Arraez, who will start primarily at second base, will play some first base when first baseman Garrett Cooper is off or playing DH.
“Arraez has played a lot of first base,” Schumaker said. “Having Cooper off his feet and DH some games is important to him. I see DH [as a] rotating spot. Jorge Soler will DH quite a but.”
He views DHing as getting “half a day off” and believes that helps players who are “trying to get both their body and mind right.”
He said “playing every day in the field is a challenge for some guys. I feel good about a lot of our guys getting a half a day off in the DH spot.”
▪ Of the catcher combo, he said: “I like [Jacob] Stallings and I like [Nick] Fortes. Fortes is an offensive catcher; the defense is only going to get better.”
It sounded like Stallings would keep catching Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara.
“Sandy did really really well with Stallings back there,” Schumaker said. “We’ll talk about the other guys as we move on.”
▪ He likes how Jazz Chisholm has embraced the move to center field.
“Before we even traded [Miguel] Rojas and the Arraez trade, he pulled me in the office and said ‘I’m willing to do whatever you want - short, second, CF, I’m willing to do anything to help us win.’ When your [star player] is willing to do anything, that’s important.
“There’s not a guy I would rather have [teaching Chisholm to play center] than [first base coach] John Jay. I feel really good about Jazz out there. It might take some time. I don’t think it will take him all of spring training to figure out. There might be some weird moments.”
▪ He said “Joey Wendle is our shortstop” and that he’s excited to watch Jon Berti play some there. He several times mentioned shortstop prospect Jacob Amaya, who figures to begin the year in the minors.
“Amaya will tell you when he’s ready,” Schumaker said. “He can make any play at the big league level; [growth on the] offensive side will help him [reach] the next level.”
▪ Schumaker will let left field to play out this spring. It could end up being a Bryan De La Cruz/Jesus Sanchez platoon or one winning the job.
“They’ll tell you,” he said. “Sanchez is a fun player to watch. De La Cruz showed what he is capable of doing. Both will get plenty of opportunities to make a case for themselves. They will tell you when they’re ready.
“You never want to fall in and out of love with someone in spring training” because sometimes they’re batting against minor-league arms.
Could it be a platoon situation? “We’ll find out. De La Cruz and Sanchez are exciting players. Looking forward to seeing them taking the next step.”
All pitchers and catchers report to Jupiter by next Thursday and everyone else by Feb. 21.
CHISHOLM WEIGHS IN
Chisholm, making his move to center field, shared a few things:
▪ He said he was told immediately after the World Series that he might be needed in center field. He said he told only his mother, because he knew she would forget.
He said has has spent time in center field every day in recent weeks.
“Felt great, felt I could be one of the best out there,” he said.
He said it has gone well except for the fact he “dropped a couple” with his bare hands.
▪ He said he has arranged a meeting with 13-time All Star Ken Griffey Jr. to get tips on playing center field. They’ll discuss it over a meal and work on the field.
“Will grab one of the spring training camp fields,” in Jupiter, Chisholm said. Former Marlins and MLB star Gary Sheffield - who played the corner outfield spots and the infield - also plans to join them that day.
This story was originally published February 10, 2023 at 3:01 PM.
