How Mattingly plans to use his new players. And analysts assess Marlins’ pickups.
A six-pack of Marlins notes on a Wednesday:
▪ Marlins manager Don Mattingly this week was given two legitimate big-league starters for his lineup, and the excitement was evident in his voice on a Marlins podcast Thursday.
“It’s exciting about being able to plug these guys into our lineup,” Mattingly told Marlins radio studio host Kyle Sielaff and TV play-by-play voice Paul Severino.
(Here’s the pod, which also includes an interview with Marlins president/baseball operations Michael Hill.)
“[Marlins CEO] Derek Jeter has talked about we want to be able to upgrade the offense, become more competitive and making sure we are making good decisions that are not going to get in the way of kids who are around the corner or may be coming,” Mattingly said.
“[Jesus] Aguilar, just a year ago, was one of the most productive guys in the National League. Big power to all fields. For a big guy, a pretty good defender; that’s one of the things that gets overlooked.
“[Jonathan] Villar is an exciting player, can run, steal bags, hit over 20 homers last year, played every game. When I saw him in Milwaukee, dynamic player, a guy who you think can change things.”
It sounds like Aguilar will be given every chance to be the everyday first baseman. “We want to give him an opportunity to get back on track, give him the at-bats he needs to do the things he’s capable of,” Mattingly said.
As for Villar, “Jonathan can play second, third, short,” Mattingly said. “We feel there is a possibility of him playing some outfield. He’s dynamic in a lot of different ways.”
▪ Isan Diaz will need to at least be decent in spring to emerge as the opening-day second baseman. The Marlins are optimistic Diaz will be their second baseman of the future, but to win the opening day job, he needs to hit better than his .173 average after his August call-up.
“With Isan, it depends what Isan does,” Mattingly said.
With shortstop Miguel Rojas, “you look at the possibility of third base, second, moving him around the field.”
▪ MLB Network analyst John Hart — the former general manager or top executive for the Indians, Rangers and Braves — said he loves the Marlins’ acquisitions of Villar and Aguilar.
“The Marlins were able to strike [while yielding] limited talent to go get two players who are going to be everyday guys for them,” he said.
MLB Network analyst and former big-league pitching coach Rick Peterson chimed in: “Great move. You’ve got a former All-Star [Aguilar] and a guy who just had a great year [Villar].”
New York Post baseball columnist and MLB Network analyst Joel Sherman made a good point about the Marlins’ pickups: “When you’re looking for ways to not tank, this is the way to do it. Every team should be compelled within their budget to win as many games as possible, not block any prospects, [but] bring in actual major-leaguers on one-year deals. Will it help them win 100 games? No. But it will stop them from losing 100 games.”
▪ A couple of points from two smart Fangraphs writers about Villar:
Paul Sporer notes: “I was a bit shocked to learn that Baltimore didn’t think they could or should pay about $10 million to a player who has produced 6.0 WAR [wins over replacement] the last two seasons [generally worth about $45 million to $50 million on the open market) as he’s on the right side of 30, not blocking a damn soul, and could maybe even be parlayed into something at the deadline if he’s pacing toward another four-win season like his 2019.”
Now the Marlins could potentially flip him at the deadline if they’re far out of contention.
Fangraphs’ Tony Wolfe noted Villar’s wins-over-replacement after July 24 was fifth best in baseball, behind only Alex Bregman, Marcus Semien, Anthony Rendon and J.T. Realmuto.
“The first three of those players were in the middle of playoff chases, and the fourth was on a team that certainly believed themselves to be in the mix this season, while Villar was on a team [Baltimore] that was playing out the string on a year that was over before it started,” VIllar said. “The mental fortitude it has to take to find an extra gear like this playing for a team most of us would rather forget seems like no small thing.”
Wolfe also notes that “Villar was baseball’s best baserunner this year, despite the fact that he isn’t one of the game’s fastest runners. He only ranked in the 72nd percentile this year in sprint speed. He’s also held a perfectly fine walk rate over the past two seasons accompanied by a steadily declining strikeout rate. And if you take away his ghastly 2017 performance, you’ll see a hitter who, even with inconsistent power output, has been an above-average hitter more often than not over the past five years.
“Put all of it together, including his mediocre first half of 2018 and his brilliant last third of 2019, and he’s been the 11th-most valuable second baseman in baseball over the past two seasons, sandwiched in between Kolten Wong and Gleyber Torres.”
▪ Though Hill wouldn’t commit to signing an established closer, that’s clearly needed.
Hill mentioned Drew Steckenrider, who’s returning from an elbow injury, and Ryne Stanek as internal options heading into spring training.
But Steckenrider is 6 for 12 in his career on save chances; Hill said he will be healthy for spring training. Stanek, a generally competent set-up man, wasn’t good in his closer audition for the Marlins, converting only one of five chances.
Among free agent closers who are available: former Marlin Steve Cishek (seven saves, 2.95 ERA for the Cubs last season), Arodys Vizcaino (16 saves, 2.11 ERA for Atlanta in 2018 but missed most of last season with a torn labrum) and Blake Treinen (28 and 16 saves for Oakland the past two seasons; was nontendered by A’s this week).
▪ Mattingly on moving in the fences at Marlins Park: “I think it’s fair. It’s still going to be fair to our pitchers. There were some balls hit to center field, I know our guys got frustrated. It shortened it for everyone. It takes a little notch out of the outfield that played a little funky.”
This story was originally published December 4, 2019 at 4:39 PM.
