1 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: Marlins fans, Welcome to a new episode of Big Fish 2 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:11,400 Speaker 1: Small Pod, hosted by Eli Susman on this Monday morning. 3 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: As will be the case every Monday throughout the entire season. 4 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:19,279 Speaker 1: The Small Pod is presented by MPT College Consulting. Check 5 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:24,440 Speaker 1: them out at MPT Collegeconsulting dot com. This is going 6 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: to be my final Marlins Opening Day roster projection. I've 7 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: done a few of these on the sidefish on First 8 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:32,959 Speaker 1: dot com. With this one just three days prior to 9 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:36,599 Speaker 1: the Marlin's officially setting their roster for twenty twenty four 10 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: opening Day, a quick rundown of the twenty six players 11 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 1: that I think are going to get spots, and kind 12 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:45,160 Speaker 1: of some thoughts about how it is that these players 13 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: actually fit together, how they compliment one another, and what 14 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:50,880 Speaker 1: this team may be missing, at least for the early 15 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: portion of the twenty twenty four season. On the position 16 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 1: player side, we like to say that there's always some 17 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: sort of competition going on. Unfortunately, in the Marlins case, 18 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 1: this group has been set for the better part of 19 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:09,400 Speaker 1: a month. A month ago, the Marlins signed shortstop Tim Anderson, 20 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: and in alphabetical order, these are the thirteen guys that 21 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 1: I have on the hitting side making the team in 22 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: addition to Ta Louis a Rise, John Birdie, Josh Bell, 23 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: Christian Benlin, Court, Vidal Bruhan, Jake Berger, Jas Chisham Junior, 24 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: Brian De la Cruz, Nick Vortes, Avisajel Garcia, Nick Gordon, 25 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: and Jesus Sanchez. That group has been unchanged for a 26 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 1: month because the Marlins have been basically injury free on 27 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 1: this side of the ball throughout spring trending as we'll 28 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 1: get to in a moment, that has not been the 29 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: case on the pitching side. For them. There to be 30 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: any wiggle room any surprises here, there really needs to 31 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: be some sort of setback or in a really extremely 32 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: positive or negative performance here. Otherwise this is the group 33 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: we've had. As everybody has noticed, Dane Meyers had a 34 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: terrific SPCE and training somebody with nothing enough to prove 35 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: in the Myers, the Miners, and he's the next man 36 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 1: up in the outfield. But he wasn't going to displace 37 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:09,519 Speaker 1: Vidal Bruhan because he's at options. Who wasn't going to 38 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 1: displace Nick Gordon, who had a very good spring training 39 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: and he's out of options, and he wasn't going to 40 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 1: displace avessel Garcia, who is owed twenty nine million dollars 41 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 1: over the next couple of years as part of his contract. 42 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 1: If the Marlins were going to do something bold like that, 43 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: then they would have gotten rid of Avi before spring 44 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 1: training started. In my opinion, they weren't going to make 45 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: a really bold decision just based on exhibition game numbers, 46 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: despite the fact that Dan's exhibition game numbers were incredible 47 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: and ops over twelve hundred, tied for the team lead 48 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 1: in home runs, et cetera. But that group is pretty 49 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: well set in stone. There are a couple of very 50 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: troubling areas here. As we have stressed ever since they 51 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,359 Speaker 1: acquired Tim Anderson to be their shortstop. For all the 52 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: upside he has offensively doesn't really help them in the field. 53 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 1: Like defensively, you just go on this list of guys 54 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 1: and there aren't very many standouts whatsoever. Fortes is coming 55 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 1: off a good year, especially in terms of blocking behind 56 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:10,240 Speaker 1: the plate and jazz chism junior. He got a lot 57 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: better at center field as the year went on. Overall, 58 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: this is it's hard to see a path to this 59 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:20,920 Speaker 1: group being even close to average defensively, just because at 60 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 1: a lot of these positions, they lack mobility. Like overall 61 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: athleticism here, they're going to be average at best and 62 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:31,960 Speaker 1: probably below average defenders at almost every position except for 63 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: a catcher in maybe center field, and at all those 64 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 1: other spots. You're just you're really relying heavily on those 65 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 1: couple standouts to make up for the deficiencies elsewhere, and 66 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 1: I'm curious to see how that plays out over the 67 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 1: course of the season. The other one is offensively, this 68 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 1: should be a better offensive team than last year. It's 69 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 1: not saying much. It should be better. The one area 70 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 1: where they'll definitely be deficients is plate discipline. There are 71 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: not any super patient hitters in this group at all. 72 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: There's guys that hit especially well when they have the 73 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: platoon advantage, and Skip Schumacher has spoken about that, making 74 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: sure that especially among some of these lefty bats, getting 75 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: them in the lineup all the time against rieties and 76 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: then protecting them when they're lined up to face south 77 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 1: pause that will help even in those cases. There's just 78 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,720 Speaker 1: not a whole lot of patience here. In selectivity, these 79 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: guys are not going to work for a deep count. 80 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: The path to being a solid offensive team is probably 81 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 1: gonna hinge on power hitting from Jazz staying healthy the 82 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 1: whole year, from having complete seasons from Jake Berger and 83 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:42,840 Speaker 1: Josh Bell. From those other guys like Anderson and a Rise, 84 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,600 Speaker 1: they'll get their fair share of singles, but they're also 85 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 1: just not very dynamic base runners once they get on in. 86 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,720 Speaker 1: The missing element is those walks. I just don't see 87 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:55,360 Speaker 1: anybody in this lineup drawing maybe more than sixty sixty 88 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:58,720 Speaker 1: five walks over the course of an entire season, and 89 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 1: that is going to just reduced the opportunities that they 90 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: have to score runs. It's gonna be really reliant on 91 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: actually hitting home runs to drive in runs, which has 92 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:09,800 Speaker 1: not been the case for Marlins teams in recent history. Now, 93 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:12,720 Speaker 1: as we switch over to the pitching side, first, the 94 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:14,839 Speaker 1: ones that are not going to be on the roster 95 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:18,239 Speaker 1: due to their situations, most of them due to injuries. 96 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:21,279 Speaker 1: We already have Sandy al Contra on the sixty day 97 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,840 Speaker 1: IL as he recovers from Tommy John and I foresee 98 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: four other guys also beginning on the IL, all them pittures. 99 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:31,919 Speaker 1: Edward Cabrera with a shoulder, JT. Chagua with a neck, 100 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: Braxton Garrett with a shoulder, and Yuri Perez with his 101 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: sigh of relief only mild inflammation in his right elbow. 102 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 1: I think Cabrera, Schagua, Garrett Perez, all of them would 103 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 1: just be on the fifteen day I l I think 104 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:50,600 Speaker 1: that was the big news coming out on Yuri is 105 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: that he's already resumed a throwing progression, so it's not 106 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: unreasonable to think he could be back before the end 107 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:00,359 Speaker 1: of May on at fully stretched out as a starter 108 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:02,839 Speaker 1: barring any stepbacks. So I think only Sandy on the 109 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:05,479 Speaker 1: sixty day, does four other pitchers on the fifteen day. 110 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 1: And then there is the curious case of Huascar Brasobahon, 111 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 1: who as of this recording, he's still not in the 112 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 1: US due to visa issues. My understanding is that the 113 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:19,279 Speaker 1: likely move there will be putting him on the restricted list, 114 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:22,479 Speaker 1: which also removes him from the forty man roster until 115 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:26,720 Speaker 1: he's actually able to report. The other complication could be 116 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 1: for whatever reason, that's not possible and they have to 117 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 1: simply option him to the miners. In that case, he 118 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: would still take up a forty man roster spot. I 119 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 1: think in his situation, just based on president of other 120 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: players that have had travel issues, entering the US restricted 121 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:44,799 Speaker 1: lists should be an option here. There's no suspense remaining 122 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 1: on the starting pitching side that has already been announced 123 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:51,719 Speaker 1: Jesh Sus Solzzardo, AJ Puck, Ryan Weathers, Trevor Rodgers, Max 124 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 1: Meyer in that order to begin the season. The concern 125 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 1: here is pretty apparent just because of most of these 126 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 1: guys how they were US last year's There's a lot 127 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:05,480 Speaker 1: of questions about how they'll do deeper into their starts, 128 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:08,159 Speaker 1: how will they perform the third time through a lineup. 129 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 1: For Puck who has never started in the big leagues. 130 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 1: For Ryan Weathers, who has started very unsuccessfully in the 131 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 1: big leagues, Trevor Rodgers barely pitched all in twenty twenty three, 132 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 1: and when he did in twenty twenty two, he struggled 133 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 1: to get deep insive games. And Max Meyer coming off 134 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: his major injury, who I think there's natural questions about 135 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 1: whether he has a deep enough pitch mix to get 136 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: him into those games. On the bullpen side, this is 137 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 1: really where the only suspense is at this point. There 138 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 1: are five guys that are firmly locked in. Tanner, Scott, 139 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: Andrew Nardi, Anthony Bender, George Soriano, six Dos Sanchez very 140 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: brief shout out to Soriano, who quietly was incredible this 141 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 1: spring nine and two thirds scoreless innings and barely led 142 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: any base runners. I think he could be working in 143 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: high leverage situations this year that leavest three more spots. 144 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: Thirteen man pitching staff already have five starters five relievers 145 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:04,120 Speaker 1: the final three spots. I feel pretty confident about Declan Cronin. 146 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:06,679 Speaker 1: He's somebody that has stood out even before the spring 147 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 1: games began. He made a pretty early impression that despite 148 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 1: kind of having very unremarkable velocity, that his fastball is 149 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 1: hard to hit, and his results in spring were overall 150 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: pretty good. So I think a pretty high degree confidence 151 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: that Cronin is going to get one of these spots. 152 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: So it's really three guys for two spots to fill 153 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 1: out this bullpen in leverage and long relief situations. Anthony 154 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:35,199 Speaker 1: Maldonado has absolutely nothing left to prove in triple A. 155 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: I think the only question is whether they want to 156 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 1: hold him down for a little bit in order to 157 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 1: play some service time games and get a additional year 158 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:45,719 Speaker 1: of club control. If they hold him back for the 159 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:48,200 Speaker 1: first few weeks of the regular season, but he's ready, 160 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 1: and I think given the other injuries to this bullpen 161 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 1: that kind of by default he's deserving of moving into 162 00:08:56,720 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: one of these spots. And then there has to be 163 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:03,679 Speaker 1: at least one long man, conventional long man here, and 164 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 1: that's Brian Hoeing or Vladimir Gutieiraz or both. So that's 165 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 1: the decision here between Maldonado, Hoeing, Gudieirez, two of those 166 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:17,080 Speaker 1: three getting on the roster now, due to the questions 167 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:18,959 Speaker 1: about how long the starters are going to go deep 168 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:21,160 Speaker 1: into games, I wouldn't be surprised if they go with 169 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:23,319 Speaker 1: two long guys. They go with Brian Hoeing, who did 170 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 1: that job for a lot of last year. In Vladimir Gudieirez, 171 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:28,240 Speaker 1: who used to be a starting pitcher, who has a 172 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 1: fairly deep pitch mix, who has been relatively stretched out 173 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 1: during spring training games, I wouldn't be surprised if it's 174 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:38,840 Speaker 1: Hoeing Gudieirez in place. In Maldonado, Gudieirez non forty man 175 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 1: player for now, but he can take that Huascar Brozobon spot, 176 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:44,800 Speaker 1: assuming that Brasbon goes on the restricted list. If for 177 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:48,480 Speaker 1: whatever reason, that forty man spot does not open up, 178 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 1: then maybe it's Hoeing and Maldonado and Gudieirez reluctantly accept 179 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 1: an assignment to Triple A. But that's kind of the 180 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:59,280 Speaker 1: question around Gudiires is whether he'll take that assignment if 181 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 1: offered to it. Which of those guys do they want 182 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 1: to keep stretched out as a starter and the miners 183 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:07,080 Speaker 1: perhaps maybe Gutierrez. Maybe they want to give Holing one 184 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:12,679 Speaker 1: more opportunity to be a starting rotation depth piece and 185 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:14,839 Speaker 1: have him and Triple A. So there's a lot of 186 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: volatility there the choices. The prediction that I went here 187 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 1: is that Gudieirez and Maldonado get those final two bullpen spots, 188 00:10:22,559 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: so a super quick rundown here on the hitting side, Anderson, Ariiz, 189 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 1: Birdie Bell, bethn Court, Bruhan, Berger, Chisholm, Dela Cruz, Fortes, Garcia, 190 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 1: Gordon and Sanchez. On the pitching side, Lozardo, Puck, Weathers, 191 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 1: Rogers and Meyer as starters, Scott, Nardi, Bender, Soriano, six Too, Cronin, 192 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:49,320 Speaker 1: Gudierrez and Maldonado as relievers. This has been big fish, 193 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:52,720 Speaker 1: small pot with the Elis Susman presented by MPT College Consulting. 194 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:56,200 Speaker 1: What do you think about that projection here. You can 195 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:58,840 Speaker 1: comment directly on the site if you want to share 196 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:03,000 Speaker 1: your own twenty six man forecast entering opening day. Either way, 197 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:06,320 Speaker 1: we are so close to the real games beginning when 198 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 1: our best coverage is ahead of us. We appreciate everybody 199 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:14,679 Speaker 1: for the support. Go Fish.