After Trade, Roster Seems Set

It was a very busy Tuesday for the Florida Marlins. A trade, a release and two reassignments brought the 25-Man roster into complete focus.

The trade, with Detroit, brought former Marlin farmhand and the central piece in the 2003 Mark Redman trade, Nate Robertson back to the Marlins where he was immediately named the 5th starter. Robertson, a left-hander, gives the Marlins a potential innings eater at the back of the rotation, and a much needed south paw.

The release saw Seth McClung set free after a spring in which he didn't miss many bats and had serious problems with effectiveness.

Finally, Rick Vandenhurk and Tim Wood were optioned to AAA, leaving the final bullpen spot to the previously presumed 5th starter, Clay Hensley.

Thus, the Marlins are left with the 12 pitchers they will open the season with in New York: Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, Anibal Sanchez, Chris Volstad and the newly acquired Nate Robertson fill out the rotation while Leo Nunez, Brian Sanches, Renyel Pinto, Dan Meyer, Jose Veras, Burke Badenhop, and Clay Hensley are in the bullpen.

2010 Preview

Here are some quick thoughts about how I see the 2010 season unfolding:

NL East

1. Phillies
2. Marlins*
3. Braves
4. Nationals
5. Mets

By now, everyone knows the Phillies are a win now juggernaut, and nothing but injuries are going to stop them from winning 95 games and the division. The Braves are going to miss Javy Vazquez this season and they're relying too much on Heyward and Hanson to perform like 10 year veterans; the added pressure of this being Bobby Cox's final season should be a detriment rather than a rallying cry. The Marlins, while their pitching is still a huge question mark, ride their top two starters and a ton of offense to 88 wins.

NL Central

1. Cardinals
2. Cubs
3. Brewers
4. Astros
5. Reds
6. Pirates

Much like the Phillies, the Cardinals are just a runaway team that has the benefit of two, possibly three, doormats in their division to beat up on 19 times. The Cubs have a lot of players in contract years, notably Derrek Lee, meaning you could see a "me first" attitude take over, or, perhaps everyone being out for their numbers pushes a lot of players to career years. The Reds should be improved, but as much as I like Volquez and Votto, a team is going to need more pitching (especially in their ballpark) to make a run.

NL West

1. Giants
2. Rockies
3. Dodgers
4. Diamondbacks
5. Padres

I'm not buying into the Rockies hype. Yes, they had a tremendous second half, yes they have several legitimate stars (Ubaldo Jiminez, Troy Tulowitzki, and the best career no one talks about: Todd Helton) along with great role players (Manny Corpas, Jeff Francis) so there is no doubting their depth. However, I just cannot picture the team maintaining the torrid pace it had last season (at one point winning 21 of 28). The Dodgers' ownership flux, exacerbated by divorce proceedings, makes it unlikely they'll go out and get the final pieces they need to push the rotation over the top, and may already have Mannywood in its swan-song. The Giants, armed with the best pitcher on the planet and a very deep rotation, take the division by the slimmest of margins.


AL East

1. Yankees
2. Red Sox*
3. Rays
4. Orioles
5. Blue Jays

The Yankees look like the best team in baseball, what was a weakness for them last year: their pitching, now potentially could be their strength as Joba Chamberlain is now in the set-up role he is seemingly destined for, and the offseason addition of Javy Vazquez should make their rotation a strike-out machine. The Red Sox have built the perfect team to test the pitching and defense theory, and also figure to be the most aggressive team on the trade front, so if and when the oft rumored Adrian Gonzalez or Prince Fielder trades come to fruition, the Red Sox should be on the receiving end. The Rays may have the most talented team in franchise history, but that may not be enough to get past the big spenders in the North East.

AL Central

1. Twins
2. Tigers
3. White Sox
4. Indians
5. Royals


Even without Joe Nathan, the Twins are the best team in the division by a pretty sizable margin. Joe Mauer's long term future is secure, as is Justin Morneau, and they brought in great role-players this offseason, like Jim Thome. The new ballpark, and all its revenue, should let the Twins go out and get the closer they need by July 31. Maybe they're not yet a dangerous playoff team, but they're the cream of the crop in the central division. The Tigers have begun a quasi-rebuild by jettisoning Curtis Granderson, and there is a chance they could move Miguel Cabrera, but it seems pretty obvious that they cannot add any more payroll and the roster the Tigers currently have is just not good enough to get past the Twins. The White Sox have taken a flier seemingly on everyone in the last year (Jake Peavy, Alex Rios) and perhaps this pays off, but it seems instead like an incredibly expensive gamble on players with motivational issues, health issues, or both; not a winning combination

AL West

1. Mariners
2. Angels
3. Rangers
4. A's


I hate trying to make sense of this division. The Angels lost players of significance, but they are such a well run franchise that you cannot imagine them taking a huge step back even with Lackey and Figgins playing elsewhere. The Mariners had the strongest offseason of any team in baseball, but they are already being hit by the injury bug as Cliff Lee, the linchpin of their rotation, is already hurt. The Rangers have a mandate from ownership to win 90, and the A's...well, they're the A's! Seattle should come out ahead, but this could be a division where no one wins 90 or loses 90 either.



World Series

Yankees over Cardinals

Race For Fifth Starter Seemingly Down to Two

Andrew Miller

What was once a race for three spots in the rotation has, after Chris Volstad and Anibal Sanchez staked claims, come down to a race for only the fifth starter spot, and all indications are that either Andrew Miller or Clay Hensley will win the job.

Both pitched Monday in a rain soaked simulated game, and based on reports, the two showcased their talents; Miller showed off a mid 90's fastball and Hensley an effective heavy sinker.

If Saturday is any indication, Hensley has jumped Andrew Miller on the Marlins' depth charts, as Hensley draws the major league assignment while Andrew Miller will be pitching a minor league game on the backfields. Saturday's game comes against a non-division opponent (St. Louis), giving even more reason to believe that Hensley has jumped Miller in the race for the 5th starter.

Most importantly, though, is that Hensley is in camp on a contract that allows him to walk away from the Marlins entirely if he is not on the 25 man roster by opening day. With the kind of spring he's had, the Marlins would hate to lose him for nothing. Conversely, Andrew Miller still has an option left, and a half-season at AAA could do wonders for him.

Unless Hensley absolutely implodes against the Cardinals on Saturday, look for him to win the 5th starter's spot in what would be an incredibly surprising all right-handed rotation.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @firstplacefish

Volstad Strong in Make or Break Start

I didn't see it, so I won't go into great detail other than to say it seemed that Chris Volstad wrapped up his rotation spot with a strong (by his standards, at least) start Saturday against Washington: 5 innings, 2 K's, 2 walks, 1 earned run (1 run total).

He ran into some trouble in the first inning after loading the bases but he battled back to turn in 5 full innings.

It now looks as if the Marlins have 4 rotation spots filled: Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, Anibal Sanchez and Chris Volstad with a three man race for the 5th and final spot among Clay Hensley, Rick Vandenhurk and FirstPlaceFish's projected frontrunner: Andrew Miller; the lone lefty in the bunch. Hensley is the only pitcher of the three yet to start a spring game for the Marlins, but manager Fredi Gonzalez has indicated he will try to work him into a minor league game sometime this week.

Marlins Bullpen Already Set?

Fredi Gonzalez never misses a chance to oversimplify and today was no exception; claiming he has 6 of his 7 bullpen spots ready.

“Things can change with trades, waiver-wire acquisitions,” Gonzalez said, “but as of today you got Pinto, Meyer, Nunez, Sanches, the Hopper, Veras – I like his stuff. So, I leave one spot.”

Notably missing: the loser of the 5th starter race and Mike MacDougal. In MacDougal, the Marlins had what I thought to be the prototypical Beinfest reliever: a big fastball, a closing pedigree and a chip on his shoulder.

The fate for the odd-man out in the rotation race is a little more convoluted. With the exception of Hayden Penn, every pitcher still "in it" has options left (or, in the case of Clay Hensley, isn't even on the 40-man roster) so the minors are very much in play.

It should be an interesting race to the finish for the bullpen, but I cannot stress how shocked I would be to see the Marlins leave Jupiter without Mike MacDougal on the team.


Post Game Addition:

And, like clockwork, Jose Veras took the job security and then threw up all overhimself. 4 runs (all earned) a walk and a strikeout in an inning and two thirds. I reiterate: Mike MacDougal not getting the job ahead of Veras would be the biggest shock of the spring.

Guessing on the Final 25

There are roughly two weeks left of spring training, and generally the final week is played under game conditions, or something reasonably close to it. The starting pitcher usually isn't on a drop-dead pitch count, starters who aren't nursing injuries play all 9 and everyone starts to get used to the role they have for the coming season. Thus, while there are two weeks left, the heavy roster culling figures to take place over the next week to ten days. We've already seen some opening shots fired with Sean West's demotion and Derek Turnbow's release following his set back.

The Marlins still have 33 roster players in camp, along with notable non-roster invitees Mike MacDougal, Mike Lamb, Mike Stanton, Logan Morrison, Seth McClung, Danny Richar and Jose Veras, so there are still plenty of red cards to be hung in lockers. Fredi Gonzalez has said he wants to have to make tough decisions, but aside from the back end of the rotation, which, depending whom you listen to either was or wasn't a true race for three spots, Fredi doesn't have a tremendously tough decision making process ahead of him. Here, now, is firstplacefish's first guess at the 25 man roster:

Position players:

The Starters:

Chris Coghlan
Cameron Maybin
Hanley Ramirez
Jorge Cantu
Dan Uggla
Cody Ross
John Baker
Gaby Sanchez

No real surprises in this group, everyone save for Maybin and Sanchez were guaranteed jobs based on past performance, salary, or both, and the only real change would be if the Marlins acquire a veteran from outside the organization (Mike Lowell?) to keep Gaby off the 25 man active roster, since it appears the organization has little faith in him as a starter.

The Bench:

Ronny Paulino
Wes Helms
Brett Carroll
Emilio Bonifacio
Mike Lamb

Again, much like the starters, no one here was really fighting for a job save the last guy on the list. Lamb fills the Ross Gload role for 2010 (sounds kind of dirty, right?) as a versatile lefty that can probably play three of the four corner positions if needed and should be able to work well as primarily a pinch hitter. Ultimately, that's what led me to believe the Marlins will side with Lamb over Danny Richar as Lamb's ability to be a proven bench bat should win out over Richar's positional versatility, plus Lamb brings a little more "pop" and is the prototypical Beinfest bench player: he's been around, he's never been a long-term starter, but somehow, he's going to thrive.

The Pitching Staff:

The Rotation:

Josh Johnson
Ricky Nolasco
Anibal Sanchez
Chris Volstad
Andrew Miller

Pretty boring, huh? The "open competition" likely won't result in anything unexpected. Johnson and Nolasco didn't have to win their jobs, and Sanchez has put together a respectable enough spring to assume he's got a job in the rotation. Beyond that, Volstad makes it simply because the Marlins act very much like a team that either already had their mind made up about him before camp opened, or a team that only needs to see one good 4 inning start from him to justify the rotation spot. Whichever the case may be, neither ends with Volstad in the minors.

Miller gets the 5th spot because he's a lefty. I wish there were more to say than this, but I very much doubt the Marlins go with 5 right handed starters to start the season. We just don't buck conventional wisdom like that. Miller may not be more merited than Rick Vandenhurk or spring standout Clay Hensley, but unfortunately for them, Miller is the only player left in the race for a rotation spot that throws left-handed.

The bullpen:

Leo Nunez
Mike MacDougal
Clay Hensley
Renyel Pinto
Dan Meyer
Burke Badenhop
Hayden Penn

Aside from Hensley and Penn forcing their way onto the roster, no real surprises. MacDougal came into camp with probably the best fastball among the bullpen hopefuls, and we know the Marlins are enamored with the radar reading. Pinto and Meyer give the Marlins versatile lefty set up / mop up options and Badenhop looks to again be the long-man in the 'pen. Only Hayden Penn comes into the 'pen without a role and based purely on spring performance. If the Marlins feel they have enough innings and instead need another set up option, hard throwing righty Jose Veras could be the last man in instead. However, Veras is in camp on a minor league contract while Penn is on the 40-man and out of options, so that alone could make Penn the first choice; the Marlins won't risk losing a pitcher they feel can contribute.


The dark-horses:

Logan Morrison
Rick Vandenhurk
Jose Veras
Mike Stanton
Bryan Petersen

Believe it or not, as of March 18th, Bryan Petersen leads the Marlins in at-bats (33) and appearances (11). Now, often times that kind of player is destined for AAA and the manager just wants to rest his regulars. That Petersen can play all 3 outfield positions makes it likely is being used both as the spring training "gopher" and also a dark-horse for the roster. In all likelihood, he's going to AAA, but if the Marlins decide to forego a lefty bat off the bench, Petersen's versatility could push him onto the roster as the Marlins have no true 5th outfielder (but then again, few NL teams do).

Vandenhurk is the odd man out from the rotation. Though more deserving of a spot than both Chris Volstad and Andrew Miller, Vandenhurk's been bitten by the long-ball this spring, and that is likely all the justification the Marlins need to send him to AAA where he'll get a chance to start.

Veras, Morrison and Stanton really only enter the picture in the event of serious injury. Morrison is a peculiar case, however. He has not done anything to prove he is ready for the majors, yet not only have the Marlins kept him in camp where they play him regularly, but also Fredi Gonzalez continues to maintain that he's not even looking at batting averages yet, leading some to read between the lines that Gaby Sanchez is not the front runner despite every statistical measure saying he should be. I don't think it's likely, but it would hardly be surprising if Morrison's named the every day first baseman.

Turnbow Finished

Although a long-shot to make the bullpen, hard throwing righty Derek Turnbow is now likely completely out of the picture as his day was cut short due to a severe shoulder injury. The big righty has battled shoulder tendinitis this spring.

Behind closer Leo Nunez, the Marlins are still trying to sort out a big league bullpen with as many as five of the seven bullpen spots open for competition.

Turnbow's injury does not remove a player who was guaranteed a job, but could make fellow right handers Seth McClung and Jose Veras get longer looks from the Marlins.

Stanton's Strong Spring Shouldn't Sway Marlins

Mike Stanton is having a huge spring, it's hard not to gush over it.

The numbers are stunning: .444 average, 2 homers, 8 RBI, more walks than strikeouts. Coming off an injury shortened stint in the Arizona Fall League where he was leading the league in average, it's clear the 20 year old wants to impress upon his club that he is ready to make the jump to the bigs. The Marlins shouldn't bite, at least not yet.

Stanton has had 1,003 minor league at-bats, a healthy total, but only 299 came above A ball (last season at AA Jacksonville). At lower levels, pitchers generally are forced by their parent club to hone a secondary or tertiary pitch, generally something off-speed, and hitters can thrive off seeing the subpar breaking balls or, even better, the fastball in fastball counts as young pitchers have little faith in their ability to control their secondary pitches when they need a strike.

This isn't to suggest that Stanton's numbers are a mirage or that he is not ready, I think it's plain to see his time in the minors is almost permanently at an end. However, Stanton could use the time to acclimate to seeing (and hitting) a 3-1 change up or a 2-1 curveball. While it seems insignificant, a player with a propensity for strikeouts, which Stanton is, really could benefit from an extended look at advanced pitching before facing Major League pitchers.

Further complicating things is the state of the Marlins' major league outfield. Stanton's natural position is right field, but right field houses the Marlins highest paid and most veteran outfielder, Cody Ross. Ross could slide over to center to make room for Stanton, but that would squeeze Cameron Maybin out, something that, at least at the moment, the Marlins should not consider.

Unless the Marlins feel that Stanton, or Ross, is the short term answer at first base (incredibly unlikely) there just isn't a job waiting for Stanton that wouldn't damage the long term outlook for the team as Stanton's playing time would come at the expense of Maybin which would leave the long term center fielder's job unsettled. To me, that's the same as taking a huge step sideways.

The Marlins are in an enviable position: they have a 20 year old corner outfielder who looks like he could be on the major league roster and not be completely overwhelmed, yet, at the same time, they have no need to promote him right; their major league depth is that strong. Patience, please, patience.

2010 Preview: The Outfield

Part II of our 2010 preview focuses on the outfield. At this point, Marlins fans are pretty familiar with all three of the projected starters, but what kind of a blogger would I be if I didn't at least attempt to pass along some information.

Left Field

Chris Coghlan's going to open 2010 where he closed 2009: playing out of position in left field. The middle infielder turned corner outfielder out of necessity is the reigning National League Rookie of the Year based on a second half in which he paced baseball with a .372 second half batting average and a major league leading 113 second half hits.

In Coghlan, the Marlins have the ideal top of the order hitter: he gets on base, he hits left-handed pitching about as well as he hits right handed pitching (.385 OBP against lefties compared to .391 OBP against righties), and he doesn't strike out a whole lot. The only characteristic he lacks of the prototypical 1-2 hitter is speed: his 8 steals in 13 attempts (62%) is subpar, especially for a team that features a wealth of speedsters.

His defense in left improved as the season went on, and Sun Life Stadium is a notoriously difficult left-field to play because of the football lights causing most line drives to disappear on the fielder. Coghlan's long term future figures to be in the infield (he was drafted out of Mississippi as a second-baseman), but he'll be the left fielder for at least 2010.

Right now, he profiles as a singles/doubles hitter, but if he develops a bit more power to push his homer totals into double figures (he had 9 a season ago) the Marlins could have a leadoff hitter that's the envy of baseball.


Center Field

Fredi Gonzalez steadfastly claims that Cameron Maybin is not guaranteed a job, but, realistically, the team is not going to us Scott Cousins or Jai Miller as the full time center-fielder for 2010 unless Maybin is unable to play. Whether Maybin's current groin injury allows him to be the opening day starter is an uncertainty, but I would be absolutely floored if Maybin did not get at least 400 big league at bats in 2010.

Throughout their history, the Marlins have loved to have a center-fielder that covers a lot of ground: Chuck Carr, Devon White, Juan Pierre and now Cameron Maybin looks to continue the legacy of fleet-footed slick fielders. Of all the center-fielders in Marlins history, Maybin might have the strongest throwing arm (Mark Kotsay and Brett Carroll aside since they merely moonlighted in center), and he certainly comes with the highest expectations as a top-10 overall pick in a famously loaded 2005 draft.

Of the players taken in the top-10, Maybin's upside was considered second to only #1 overall pick Justin Upton, a true 5-tool talent in center field. Scouts loved his ability to hit for power and average, he set a North Carolina high-school record hitting .645 in his senior season, and his speed is hard to miss, both in the field and on the base-paths.

In the minors, Maybin has demonstrated a consistent ability to run, and run successfully, with 81 steals in 103 attempts (79%). Beyond that, the offensive game remains a work in progress. Since coming to the Marlins, Maybin has had extended stays at both AA and AAA where he walked relatively consistently, but that eye did not translate to the major league level, at least not yet. The real key for Maybin will be minimizing his strikeouts (388 K's over 4 minor league seasons). Cutting down the strikeouts will be largely reliant on how much shorter his swing becomes. With the Marlins in 2009, Maybin showed a violently fast yet very long swing that was the product of a pendulum like uppercut he had on pitches over the inner half of the plate. His K totals improved in AAA New Orleans, so maybe Cam has figured out how to control the inner half.

The power that was expected to come has yet to materialize. He's never hit more than 13 home-runs at any level, nor has he ever hit 20 doubles at any level. Suffice to say, that lack of minor league power is troubling. There are worse things than a speedy, singles hitting center-fielder who can cover some ground, but a player with Maybin's pedigree should be so much more.

In 2010, I look for Maybin to stick in the majors for good, and, if so, it will be the first time he does not split time between professional levels since high-school. Maybe all Maybin needs is routine. I think the days of his status as a super-star in waiting are done, but I think Maybin could turn in a .270/.330/.410 line in 2010, and really, for an incredibly up and down 23 year old, that seems somewhat encouraging.


Right Field

Fan favorite Cody Ross has been guaranteed a job, unsurprisingly, and unless Maybin does not break camp with the team, that job should be in right field. At the start of 2009, Ross was named the Marlins right fielder, but moved back to center after Maybin's demotion to AAA. Ross gives the Marlins a gold-glove caliber outfielder, and between Cody and Cam, outfield range should never be an issue. Given the number of fly-ball pitchers on the Marlins staff, that's great news.

At the plate, Ross has shown a propensity for extra base hits, and big hits in big spots. leading to ubiquitous chants of Co-dy, Co-dy. Originally viewed as the right-handed compliment to an outfield platoon, Ross showed in 2009 that he can be an incredibly productive everyday player regardless of the pitcher's handedness, although his lefty - righty splits show he clearly prefers hitting lefties as he posted a .959 OPS against left-handed pitching.

Cody has been mostly healthy the last two seasons, nagging injuries have been a problem for him throughout his career, and with that health have come two remarkably productive seasons. 2010 should be more of the same for Cody: 20 something homers, 30 something doubles and a critical bat in the bottom 3rd of the order.

The Fourth Outfielder

Brett Carroll's specialty is defense. His range is incredible and his arm should be legendary; you could hang laundry on his throws to the plate. If you ever wanted to see an unequivocal "80" on the 20-80 scout's scale, it's Carroll's throwing arm.

Beyond that, the man nicknamed BC doesn't have a lot of flash to his game. He came oh so close to being the first Marlin to hit for the cycle, he finished a double short in the same game rookie Sean West threw 6 no-hit innings, that, at least temporarily, teased fans as potentially the greatest game in Marlins history, but the offensive highlights mostly end there. He hits lefties far better than righties (.801 OPS to .589 OPS) but even then, it's hard to imagine he's capable of putting up that same kind of production if given a full season platoon role (he did it in just 66 AB's in '09).

BC is the embodiment of the major league 4th outfielder. He can fill in at any position, he can be the defensive replacement on the back end of a double switch (which is a Fredi Gonzalez favorite) and he can fill in for a week at a time in the event of injury. He's carved out his niche, and the Marlins appear only too happy to let him to continue to be the defensive whiz and Sunday starter he's demonstrated himself to be.

The Phenom

If you haven't heard of Mike Stanton yet, you will soon. The 20 year old right-fielder is demonstrating why he's considered a top-3 prospect in all of baseball, and why the Marlins made him untouchable two years ago in the Manny Ramirez trade talks. His torrid spring (2 homers, .444 average going into today) have kept him in the conversation for a big league job, but his limited experience above A ball (last year, he spent only part of the season at AA Jacksonville) make it incredibly likely that no matter how good a spring he has, at least a few months in the minors are in his future. The Marlins are aggressive in promoting players in season from AA, Sean West as the latest example, so do not be surprised to see him in Miami this year, just not much before June or July, if at all.

Fredi's Outfield Comments Perplexing

Even on a day that was washed out by rain, the Marlins found a way to get me talking. Within this piece from the Miami Herald, Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez openly stated that only Cody Ross and Chris Coghlan were assured starting jobs in the Marlins outfield. Simple math and the process of elimination leaves one name ominously out in the cold: Cameron Maybin.

Maybin, you'll remember was proclaimed the opening day center fielder a year ago, struggled mightily through the start of 2009 and spent the majority of the season at AAA New Orleans. He came back in September, and seemed to demonstrate capability and a readiness to reprise his role in the opening day lineup.

That's why Fredi's comments are perplexing. Based on performance, no, Maybin doesn't deserve a guarantee; however, based on pedigree, expectations and overall importance, Maybin needs to start, and even more importantly, Maybin does not need to be constantly looking over his shoulder worrying if wunderkind Mike Stanton is going to take his spot in the lineup.

Could Maybin's groin injury play a role in this? Absolutely. The Marlins might feel that Maybin needs the spring at-bats, and if he doesn't get to a certain number of AB's, extended spring training and a rehab stint might not be the worst thing for Maybin, but think of the can of worms that opens.

Let's assume that Maybin isn't ready to go, Stanton opens the season with the big club and thrives, three weeks in Stanton's playing great, Maybin's ready to come back and Coghlan and Ross are healthy. Can you send Stanton down? Would you want to make that call? I sure wouldn't. Maybe somehow, someway, the convoluted first-base situation is somehow solved by this as the odd-man out ends up at first, and the Marlins just delay the inevitable outfield rearrangement that seems to be coming sooner than we expected given not only Stanton's hot spring, but also the organization evidently buying into it as more than just a spring mirage.

Competition is a great thing, lighting a fire under someone is never a bad move, but when the organization has so much invested in Maybin succeeding, making him now look over his shoulder before the regular season has even begun is not a great way to keep his confidence high.

2010 Preview: The Infield

Entering the 2010 season, the Marlins have all but one of their starting positions filled, a degree of certainty they haven't had since 2005. With the roster that secure, it's never too early to take a peek towards what 2010 may have in store for the team.

Catcher

The starter: John Baker will be entering his second full year as a Marlins starter (he took over in 2008 after the team finally pulled the plug on failed project Mike Rabelo). The former Moneyball star has proven several things with a full major league season: he can walk, he can hit with runners in scoring position, and he cannot, or rather, will not be allowed to, hit lefties.

Baker's .349 OBP was 4th on the team among players with at least 100 games played, which should not be a tremendous surprise given he came from the Oakland A's system, who preach OBP above all. What was a surprise was how well he hit with runners in scoring position (.421 OBP, 36 RBI, .878 OPS).

He also demonstrated an ability to hit all over the order, spending time in the 2-hole and the 8 spot, with no noticeable drop-off in production for either spot (.367 OBP batting 8th compared with a .368 OBP batting 2nd). This kind of versatility is especially important to a National League team as "turning the lineup over," an expression referring to getting the pitcher to hit in the middle of an inning rather than to lead off an inning, is important to team's with as top-heavy a lineup as the Marlins. The home-run power never developed (9 HR's in 2009), but he did hit plenty of doubles, and it appears that Sun Life Stadium was a cause for some of this power shortage as he hit only 3 homers at home to 6 on the road.

Lastly, Baker logged only 35 at-bats against south-paws, demonstrating that the Marlins would rather let him play only against right-handed starters, and with an in-house option like Ronny Paulino, it's hard to blame them. Still, for Baker to take the next step and become an essential part of the Marlins core going forward, he's going to have to be given the chance to see if he is more than a platoon player.

Look for Baker's 2010 to be filled with walks, doubles and plenty of productive AB's.

The Backup: Ronny Paulino has made a 4 year career of just killing left-handed pitching. He continued that in 2009 with a .458 slugging percentage and a .801 OPS against lefties. In 2010, look for the platoon to continue with Paulino getting the bulk of the playing time against lefty starters.

What could be improved: Defense, defense, defense. Neither Baker nor Paulino showed exceptional catch-and-throw skills behind the plate (Baker threw out 20% of attempted base-stealers and Paulino threw out 30%). Despite Baker's 5 past-balls to Paulino's 3, Baker seemed to be far better at blocking balls in the dirt though both have room for improvement. Still, the catcher's position is very difficult to play and even more difficult to find offensive talent. If their bats continue to thrive (and all signs point to that being the case) defensive short-comings can be overlooked for a strong bat.

The Final Verdict: Offense seems to be the theme here, and that will be a recurring theme throughout the team. The Baker / Paulino platoon should be incredibly productive, especially compared with other National League catchers. Behind Yadier Molina and Brian McCann, the Marlins might have the best catching situation in the NL.

3rd Base

The Starter: Jorge Cantu figures to be the starter at 3rd, but a bad spring from the first base competitors could shift him back to 1st with Wes Helms or possibly rule V pickup Jorge Jiminez taking over as the everyday 3B. Cantu's two seasons with the Marlins were incredibly surprising and productive. He followed up a 29 homer, .808 OPS 2008 with a strong 2009 where he improved his OBP significantly despite battling nagging wrist and hand problems. He has also emerged as a great situational hitter for the team as he thrived with runners in scoring position, knocking in 83 RBI and posting a .440 slugging percentage. Figuring to be the cleanup hitter behind Hanley Ramirez, Cantu should continue to have plenty of chances with runners in scoring position and that should be great news for his 2010 outlooks.

Cantu has also carved out quite a niche at home, posting significantly better numbers at home than on the road (.848 home OPS to .725 road OPS). While there is nothing wrong with thriving at home, a higher degree of consistency is hoped for, if not expected, from a middle of the lineup hitter.

The backup: Wes Helms really only factors into the discussion at 3rd base in the event of injury or ineffectiveness. He's one pinch hit away from the Marlins' all-time lead in that category, and he's been a spectacular bench option, and he should remain there. We'll delve deeper into Helms when we preview the bench.

What could be improved: Defense, defense, defense (sound familiar?). Cantu's not a sieve at 3B, but he's close. Originally a second-baseman with Tampa, the Marlins moved him to 3rd out of necessity in 2008 when trying to find a replacement for Miguel Cabrera. Cantu's bat can play at an infield corner position, but his glove needs tremendous work. Consistency is really a key here. Cantu has been far from a disappointment, but he is prone to stretches of disappearing, and he struggles on the road. He posted a .231 average in August and followed it up with a .337 average for the month of September. When your job is to be Hanley Ramirez' lineup protection, it's important to not disappear for weeks at a time.

The Final Verdict: Cantu's production cannot be questioned, just his glove. As a 3B option on a budget, it's hard to find better. He's not the ideal cleanup hitter, but he's probably the best in-house option to bat behind Hanley.

Short-Stop

The Starter: Hanley Ramirez is not just the best player on the Marlins, but possibly the best player in baseball behind Albert Pujols. His 2010 was remarkable. He won the first batting title in Marlins history with a .342 average and he finished second to Pujols in MVP voting. His 106 RBI led the team, as did his .410 on base-percentage and .543 slugging percentage. Suffice to say, as goes Hanley, so goes the team.

There is not much to say about Hanley that hasn't been said time and again. People said he was to immature to play at the major league level, yet he wins the MVP award, critics said he couldn't hit in the 3-hole, yet he wins the batting title while driving in 106 runs, critics said he would have to move from the short-stop position because of defensive short-comings so he posts the 3rd highest fielding percentage among National League short-stops while cutting his errors in half from a season before. Quite honestly, all bets are off with Hanley. He could hit .400, he could hit for the cycle and he could hit 4 home-runs in one game. There is no better embodiment of a 5-tool talent now that he's removed all doubt about his ability to play short-stop long term.

The backup: Emilio Bonifacio figures into the picture only when Hanley needs a day off.

What could be improved: A year ago, you would have said defense, two years ago, you would have said defense, hitting the outside pitch behind in the count and hitting with runners on, now...I'm not even sure. Maybe you'd like to see a few more homers out of Hanley, maybe you want to see him hit .400. The only area Hanley still does struggle is on challenge fastballs. Pitchers can climb the ladder on him, especially when they're ahead in the count. Maybe he can work on that.

Final Verdict: The team's best player, the best 5 tool talent in baseball and a perennial MVP candidate. One of the few players in baseball truly worth the price of admission.

Second Base

The Starter: Dan Uggla begins a surprising 5th season with the Marlins. I say surprising because, well, not even he expected to be back after trade talk became so loud it seemed he should have been house shopping in San Francisco. The two time all-star 2B finds himself back in Miami as a key cog in a very powerful Marlins lineup. His 31 homers led the team in 2009 and his power production will go a long way towards dictating how competitive the Marlins are in 2010.

In 2009 he demonstrated an ability to walk at an unexpectedly high rate, and he posted the second highest OBP of his career despite a career low batting average. If he can return to his .260 career average, do not be surprised to see Uggla OBP close to .400 in 2010, and given his prodigious power, that is a scary proposition. You can pencil Uggla in for around 30 homers and 30 doubles.

The Backup: Emilio Bonifacio is a natural second baseman and could see some time at this position in the event of an injury or trade.

Needs Improvement: Uggla's defense has always been a sore spot, and his performance in the 2008 All-Star Game hammered that point home on a national stage. Uggla's glove is not as bad as people like to think it is, his range, especially to his left, is his biggest problem, not his ability to make the routine plays.

The Final Verdict: For the first time in a long time, the Marlins kept a luxury item like Uggla rather than trade him. Keeping him around not only gives the 2010 Marlins a legitimate shot at the post-season, but also buys a tremendous amount of credibility back with front offices around the league. His 30 something homers, 30 something doubles and middle of the lineup presence make Uggla the second most important position player (behind Hanley) for the Marlins' 2010 season.

First Base

Going into the spring, the first base job was declared an open battle between prospects Gaby Sanchez and Logan Morrison. A little under 2 weeks in, we here at First Place Fish are prepared to call that race in favor of Gaby Sanchez. Morrison's had a snake-bitten spring. By all indications, when he hits it hard, it's right at someone. Sanchez also has the added benefit of being in the big leagues in 2008 and 2009, so the Marlins are very much in a "show me" mode with Gaby. The Marlins are rumored to be interested in pursuing former Marlin Mike Lowell, so while it appears that Logan, at least for the time, is out, that is not to assume Gaby is in.

The Starter: It looks like it's going to be Gaby Sanchez, but we're going to have to hold off on assuming he'll be here for any extended period of time. Long term, the position belongs to Morrison, and even short term, it appears the Marlins are also exploring external options. Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported we kicked the tires on Carlos Delgado before his most recent hip surgery, and the Sun-Sentinel is reporting we've had discussions about Mike Lowell. Clearly, Gaby does not have the Marlins front office fully behind him.

As a pro, Gaby figures to be a doubles hitter as his home-run power never developed in the minors. His glove is also a real cause for concern as the Marlins have floated him around the field before finally settling on him at first-base.

Beyond that, there's really not much to say about Sanchez other than he'll find a way to hit around 18 homers if he gets 400 AB's and held to the standards of a first-baseman, that's fringe production at best.

The backup: Wes Helms could get prolonged playing time here if Sanchez struggles, and journey-man Mike Lamb could end up winning the lefty bat off the bench spot which, at least in theory, could make him the true backup.

The Final Verdict:This position is the most unsettled on the roster, at least in the short-term. Whenever he arrives, Morrison figures to be no less than a 5 year starter for the Marlins, but until that time, the job figures to belong to Sanchez, or an as of yet unidentified player from outside the organization. An end of the spring trade would not be surprising, but I would expect the Marlins to break camp with Sanchez as the starter. In the event of a playoff push, first base is likely the first trade target.

Logan Morrison's Rough Start Not a Cause For Concern

A season ago, few fans had heard of Chris Coghlan. The left-handed hitting infielder came to camp, had a number in the mid 80's on his jersey and turned in an 0-16 spring training.

Come October, Coghlan had turned in a truly memorable rookie season that was capped with winning the Rookie of the Year award.

A year later, Logan Morrison is in Marlins camp, wearing #81 on his back and competing (although we're going to use that term loosely) for the first base job with University of Miami product and a mainstay of the Marlins' system, Gaby Sanchez. Unfortunately for Morrison, he has just 1 hit in 18 spring at bats. The point isn't that spring troubles are the process for a heralded player to go through in the spring, phenom Mike Stanton is sporting a .444 average in 15 spring at bats along with a pair of home-runs, but rather that a dismal spring and a trip to the minors (which seems to be in Morrison's future) can still lead to wonderful results as soon as the coming season.

So for Morrison, who is by any measure one of the premier first base prospects in baseball, a trip to AAA New Orleans shouldn't be seen as a failure. He can enjoy Bourbon Street for a few weeks (or months) before Miami inevitably comes calling for the big lefty's bat.

Johnson's Second Spring Start A Strong One

The Marlins $39 million ace turned in a spring start far more fitting a pitcher of his expectations today striking out 4 Cardinals batters (including the side in the first inning) while allowing 1 hit over 3 innings of work. The big righty's fastball sat between 91-94, a tad off the velocity he flashed last season, but it's still early.

At the plate, the Marlins scored 3 runs late in the game. The Marlins featured what projects to be two every day players in their lineup today (Jorge Cantu and Hanley Ramirez).

Ramirez went 0-3 with a strikeout, Cantu went 1-3, while Logan Morrison, who at least in theory is still in a battle for the every day first base job, continued a rough spring with an 0-4 day to drop his average to .056.

The Marlins are on the road tomorrow to take on the Baltimore Orioles.