Where do Marlins find corner outfielders to supplement Sanchez and De La Cruz? Exploring
The Marlins can safely project a combination of Jesus Sanchez and Bryan De La Cruz for one starting outfield spot in 2022. But that still leaves them needing to find two starting outfielders from outside the organization during an offseason when the roster must be upgraded.
Sanchez—- who hit a home run in three consecutive games during the weekend Braves series and now has 10 homers and 29 RBI in 47 games — projects as an everyday player, but De La Cruz has been far better hitting for contact during their ongoing rookie seasons. De La Cruz is hitting .338 (in 40 games), Sanchez .241.
Perhaps Sanchez could start in 2022 and De La Cruz could be a fourth outfielder. Or perhaps they could platoon, though Sanchez at some point figures to play every day.
While the Marlins could conceivably project both players as corner outfield starters in 2022 as a cost-saving move, that would be risky.
One problem: The free agent outfield class is weak, with only a handful of starting-caliber players.
We explored the Marlins’ 2022 center-field options in this piece.
Where do the Marlins find corner outfielders to supplement Sanchez and De La Cruz? A trade might be necessary, because the free agent class is mostly unappealing.
Exploring the options:
▪ Eddie Rosario, who hit 32 homers for Minnesota in 2019, might be the best of this impending free agent class. Traded in July from Cleveland to Atlanta, he’s hitting .253 this season with 10 homers and 54 RBI while earning $8 million.
▪ Andrew McCutchen has seen his average fall off dramatically this season (to .222), raising questions about whether Philadelphia will exercise the five-time All Star’s $15 million team option for 2022. On the plus side, he has 24 homers and 70 RBI.
He turns 35 in October and hasn’t been an All Star since 2015.
▪ Impending free agent Michael Conforto, earning $12.5 million for the Mets, is struggling through a disappointing season (.226, 12 homers, 46 RBI). But he can play all the outfield spots, is only 28 and hit .322 with nine homers and 31 RBI in 54 games in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
▪ Impending free agent Mark Canha — who can play all the outfield positions — has had a decent year offensively for Oakland (.235, 17 homers, 55 RBI). He would be a low-cost option but doesn’t especially move the needle.
▪ Arizona’s Kole Calhoun — two years removed from a 33-year home run season — could be a fourth outfielder but isn’t likely starter-quality anymore. He’s hitting .238 (three homers, 10 RBI) and has a $9 million club option that likely will be declined.
Two other impending free agents — White Sox outfielder Brian Goodwin (.234, 8, 29) and Washington’s Gerardo Parra (.232, 2, 10) — also would be nothing more than fourth outfielders. Same with San Diego’s Tommy Pham (.231, 13, 41).
▪ More expensive names, likely out of Miami’s price range, include Cincinnati’s Nick Castellanos, who could decline a $15 million player option and try to land a bigger deal this winter after a big year (.315, 28, 81).
Colorado’s Charlie Blackmon (.266, 13, 74) is likely to exercise a $22 million player option for 2022. Milwaukee’s Avisail Garcia (.269, 27, 82) has a $12 million team option but likely would be out of Miami’s price range even if he becomes available.
The Dodgers’ AJ Pollock, having a good season (.297, 16, 58), could exercise his $13 million player option.
But forget former Marlins outfielders and impending free agents Corey Dickerson and Matt Joyce; that’s a case of been-there, done-that.
What about trading a pitcher or two for a corner outfielder? A couple of possibilities:
▪ With the Marlins’ strong collection of young arms, there could be a potential match with Toronto, which has outfield depth but needs pitching.
Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. (.287, 19 homers, 80 RBI) has been a significant contributor to the Blue Jays in left field in 2021 and is under team control through 2024. Toronto moved him from the infield to the outfield in 2020.
Miami could start Gurriel in left field, Sanchez in right and have De La Cruz as the team’s fourth outfielder but with a significant role. That’s presuming the Marlins find a center fielder outside the organization.
Toronto realistically would want one or two high-level pitchers to consider a trade.
▪ The Minnesota Twins, who rank 27th in baseball in ERA, could be a match if they’re willing to move outfielder Max Kepler, who is under contract for two more seasons, at $6.8 million in 2021 and $8.5 million in 2022, with a $10 million team option for 2023 (or a $1 million buyout).
Kepler, 26, might be expendable because the Twins have outfield depth at the big-league level and the minors. Whether the Marlins would be interested in unknown.
The left-handed-hitting Kepler, who can play right field and center field, hit .252 with 36 homers and 90 RBI in 2019 but dropped to .228, 9, 23 in 48 games last season and his seen his average slip further this season — to .210 — with 17 homers and 47 RBI in 104 games.
The Marlins had previous conversations with the Twins about right-hander Elieser Hernandez, and losing him would not be a crushing blow to Miami’s pitching depth.
Though De La Cruz can play center, Marlins manager Don Mattingly suggested that wouldn’t necessarily be ideal on an everyday basis.
“He probably doesn’t profile in center with the footspeed,” Mattingly said. “In this ballpark, you would love a guy that can fly. He gets good reads. He seems very comfortable out there. For the most part, he’s made every play and every play smooth. You feel like he can play it.”
Sanchez’s work at the plate continues to leave the Marlins encouraged.
“This kid has a huge ceiling,” Mattingly said. “He’s pretty good about getting himself strikes for the most part. Contact in the zone is good. He’s got some small areas of improvement; if he can close those little holes it’s going to be tough to get him out. There are areas of the plate, his swing can improve. He’s a kid who has a tremendous ceiling.”
THIS AND THAT
We’re told Marlins first baseman Jesus Aguilar is highly unlikely to return this season. Aguilar has been out since Sept. 7 with what the team called inflammation and left knee soreness. Aguilar has been seeking alternate medical opinions, which is standard procedure.
Aguilar was putting together a very good season (.261, 22 homers, 93 RBI). Miami has been giving Lewin Diaz an extended audition at the position with Aguilar out.
Aguilar is arbitration-eligible this winter and based on his 2021 season, could net a one-year deal approaching $10 million this winter.
▪ Jazz Chisholm’s 23 errors are tied for second-most in baseball, and Mattingly said improvement is needed.
“Jazz defensively is a lot like offensively,” Mattingly said. “Just want him to get consistent with what he does. A lot of the errors have seemed to have more come at short than at second and he gets caught kind of like not coming to get balls, not being aggressive, kind of laying back.
“Jazz can make some unbelievable plays but in this game, you need guys that will make the everyday play. You watch [Miguel Rojas]. May not see the spectacular play but you see the day in, day out consistent play. And that’s where Jazz will grow to. Offensively, it’s going to be the same thing. He’s got a high ceiling on both sides of the ball.”
Please follow Barry Jackson at @flasportsbuzz, and please follow Craig Mish at @CraigMish.
This story was originally published September 14, 2021 at 1:24 PM.
