1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: It is the day after Thanksgiving and you're listening to 2 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 1: Big Fish Small Pod. I'm at word All here on 3 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:11,640 Speaker 1: the Fish Strips podcast Network with another ten minute episode 4 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: to catch you up on all things Marlins as you 5 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:20,960 Speaker 1: go about your Black Friday. So I wanted to catch 6 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,960 Speaker 1: you up on some information from the Major League Baseball 7 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: Players Association was revealed this week to the Athletic. They 8 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: presented a guide to their players that was received by 9 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: the Athletic as well that dove into their goals in 10 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: this negotiation, just to give you that they're looking to 11 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: incentivize competition. They go on to say that we continue 12 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: to see clubs openly choosing a model of sustained losing 13 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: while still reaping economic benefit. Winning at all levels needs 14 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: to have value or our system doesn't work. Pretty agreeable point. 15 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: We all want to see winning team in baseball. We 16 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 1: like competition. It's like the drama that brings us all 17 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 1: to the sport as fans. So that like totally rides 18 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 1: true with the fan standpoint. They want to be ensuring 19 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: the most talented players are on the field. That has 20 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 1: been an issue lately. We've seen some service time manipulation 21 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: where like a minor leaguer might be held back from 22 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: the majors when really they're ready. We've also seen some 23 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: mid tier free agents sit idle, like Adam Jones going 24 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: not in Major League Baseball. Another request of the MLBPA 25 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: is they want to reduce artificial restraints on competition, like 26 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: the competitive balance tax and draft pick compensation that can 27 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: really like effective free agents market as well as gives 28 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: like teams benefits for not necessarily trying their best and 29 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 1: putting their best foot forward being competitive. It's like a 30 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: pretty holistic picture that they're trying to paint. They do 31 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: also have the request that getting players their value early 32 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:22,640 Speaker 1: in their career is a priority for them. Usually, like 33 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: barring Super two status, major league players are stuck at 34 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: the league minimum for two years three years if they're 35 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: not that Super two, and in those three years, the 36 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: player can be really valuable, like look at like Wander 37 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: Franco who signed a like almost two hundred million dollar 38 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 1: guaranteed contract during his first year of service time. There 39 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 1: is some value there that is being left on the 40 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 1: table for the player, and half a million dollars versus 41 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: like millions of dollars is big as far as making 42 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: choices and having security instability in the life of the 43 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 1: player that doesn't have a lot of consistency in it, 44 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:16,799 Speaker 1: even with all the travel involved. It looks like we're 45 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: heading into a week where we'll see some non tenders. 46 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 1: We'll see exactly watch of these Marlins that the team 47 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:29,959 Speaker 1: wants to bring back for twenty twenty two at their 48 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: like arbitration at Stimiths. There's a good write up on 49 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 1: fish strips dot com if you're interested in like seeing 50 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 1: that drawn out. What I want to do today is 51 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: look deeper into a couple of Marlins that are still 52 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: like active. Brian de la Cruz and Jesus Sanchez, both 53 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 1: playing for the Torres de l Este and the Dominican 54 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: Winter League. Both have like played pretty well in their careers. 55 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: Like they both in to the Major's Marlins this year 56 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:10,160 Speaker 1: and down the stretch really solidified themselves as like everyday 57 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 1: players or like potential everyday players going forward, and guys 58 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: who've seen a good amount of major league pitching at 59 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 1: this point now. Both these players are very different profiles 60 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 1: as far as like batters, Jesus Sanchez being more of 61 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 1: a like high power guy with some like strikeout in there, 62 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:36,320 Speaker 1: but Brian day la Cruz is more of your like 63 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 1: contact hitter, pretty well defined by his ability at the plate, 64 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 1: not so much like the physical tools that he brings 65 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 1: as a player behind the bat, whereas like Hazu Sanchez, 66 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,839 Speaker 1: I mean, look at like just like the guy's legs, 67 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: he's enormously strong and knowing that, you can see a 68 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: bit of a development in his time in the Winter Leagues, 69 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 1: going back he's now played for four years with the Toros, 70 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: not like every day play all the time, going back 71 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 1: to like twenty seventeen when he was nineteen years old, 72 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 1: he got his first like look at the Winter League 73 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: with four played appearances, no hits, and he came back 74 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: the next year for four games, this time starting. He 75 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:33,479 Speaker 1: got some hits, got his first like RBI in the league, 76 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 1: but of fifteen at bats two hundred betting average didn't 77 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 1: release stand out. Then last year, as he got some 78 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 1: major league at bats, got more like established as a hitter. 79 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 1: He played ten games for the Toros, thirty seven at bats, 80 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: and he hit like a respectable two seventy eight with 81 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: like a seven to seventy ops. And he started to 82 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:59,039 Speaker 1: like look like you're like starter type player. And right 83 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: now he's on a bit of a tear. In fifteen 84 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: games sixty nine plate appearances, he's hitting three twenty eight 85 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:10,719 Speaker 1: with a nine hundred oh ps, like clearly at the 86 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 1: top of the league. Not like literally at the top 87 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 1: of the league, but he's one of those really stand 88 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 1: out Dominican Winter leaguers, which is really promising because it 89 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:25,680 Speaker 1: seems to validate what we saw the last month of 90 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 1: this season with his like eight home runs and just 91 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 1: like stand out batting average, it felt like he was 92 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 1: just a different presence at the plate with a much 93 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:39,279 Speaker 1: more like disciplined nature to him that like really does 94 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: track in the Winter leagues. Right now, he's sitting on 95 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 1: like a split of like ten walks to fourteen strikeouts, 96 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 1: up from like one walk to ten strikeouts last year. 97 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:55,920 Speaker 1: So that does seem to speak to like a confirmation 98 00:06:56,120 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 1: of an actual improvement for a disciplined, strong batter that 99 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 1: might be getting better and better at choosing his pitches 100 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 1: and like attacking it now. The Dominican Winter League does 101 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: usually lack that top end pitching talent that you see 102 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 1: in the majors. By nature of just how pitchers workloads 103 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 1: throughout a year should be a little bit like lighter 104 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: than a hitters. It's like less repeatable generally, especially as 105 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: like a pitcher develops, there's more of a risk. But 106 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 1: we are seeing some real consistency from Jesus Sanchez this winter, 107 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:38,559 Speaker 1: really promising as he looks to be a everyday starter 108 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 1: going forward. Brian de la Cruz also has shown an 109 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: interesting time in the Winter League. It seems like a 110 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: more confounding batter because he's not like really like projectable 111 00:07:56,040 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 1: as it were, with his physicality, Like looking back at 112 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 1: his splits throughout time, really he's never really lit it 113 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,880 Speaker 1: up with home runs or stolen bases. His tools have 114 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: been like fairly limited, and he's been like really like 115 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: stifled at a couple of different levels. When he started 116 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 1: in rookie ball in twenty fifteen, he had an ops 117 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 1: of five eighty two, and then at his first taste 118 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 1: of double A he had won seventy nine for Corpus 119 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 1: Christie in twenty seventeen. This is before really appearing in 120 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 1: the Dominican Winter League for him, but already he faced 121 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:38,680 Speaker 1: some challenges with the bat and had to make those 122 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 1: adjustments to even get past like average competition at those leagues. 123 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 1: And that's why, like the Winter League is more of 124 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 1: a confounding thing for him. He's kind of always been 125 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 1: in that like mess of hitters without like standout tools, 126 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:58,080 Speaker 1: that like middling level, that like kind of average player. 127 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 1: But what he's shown is that like he could be 128 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 1: an above average player with like his performance at the 129 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 1: major league level, I mean, two ninety six seven eighty 130 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:16,360 Speaker 1: three OPS, like that's really great for a rookie, really 131 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:20,079 Speaker 1: great consistency, especially for a rookie, and in the Winter 132 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 1: he's not quite held it up forty seven plate appearances, 133 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 1: two thirty three bat an average with a six forty 134 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 1: nine OPS. But really what we see with him is 135 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:38,080 Speaker 1: that he struggled against ground ball pitchers at the major 136 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: league level, and a lot of the pitchers in the 137 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 1: Dominican Winter League are those more developed, sophisticated pitchers that 138 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 1: don't have like the power stuff that have had to 139 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: make those adjustments and develop like secondary pitches like splitters 140 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 1: to induce ground balls. So it might be that he's 141 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,199 Speaker 1: facing just a bulk of what he's not good against 142 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: while continuing to play baseball deep into the year. Those 143 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:13,960 Speaker 1: most two recent years in the Dominican Winter Leagues pretty 144 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:18,440 Speaker 1: minimal at bats in the affiliated leagues around it partly 145 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:22,080 Speaker 1: pandemic focus as far as like twenty twenty. It could 146 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:24,680 Speaker 1: also be that he just doesn't have the same thing 147 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:28,560 Speaker 1: to prove to the Astros last time he was in 148 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 1: the winter leagues that he does now as a major leaguer. 149 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 1: It's interesting to see how both of these very different 150 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:40,079 Speaker 1: batters play in a totally different environment, but it's also 151 00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:44,119 Speaker 1: really encouraging to see them both sticking out as potential 152 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:48,719 Speaker 1: everyday players at twenty three and twenty four ahead of 153 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 1: an important year for the Miami Marlins organization. Thank you 154 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: for listening. I hope all is well. We'll keep you 155 00:10:56,000 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 1: updated at Fish Stripes about the latest, you know, the 156 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 1: non tender deadline, and any other news that might be 157 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 1: of interest, but for now I've been at or at all. 158 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening.