New faces, arms arrive at Marlins camp

Team: Florida Marlins
Location: Jupiter, Fla.
Date: Feb. 26, 2008

Burning Question

Will the return for Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera pay immediate dividends in 2008?

Sorry to sound like a politician ('tis the season, no?), but it depends on the definitions of "immediate" and "dividends." The Marlins got a six-pack of players in return for Willis and Cabrera -- pitchers Eulogio De La Cruz, Andrew Miller, Dallas Trahern and Burke Badenhop, catcher Mike Rabelo and, of course, outfielder Cameron Maybin (aka the key to the deal). All six have a chance to play in the big leagues in the near future.

"I think we'll see some of them in the big leagues this year," said Jim Fleming, the Marlins' vice president of player development and scouting and assistant general manager. "Will they have a huge impact this year? We'll see."

The two most likely to contribute at the Major League level in 2008 are Maybin and Miller. Feel free to believe all the talk about an open competition in center field, but it has to be Maybin's job unless he falls flat on his face this spring. So far, so good -- Maybin stroked a pair of doubles in his first intrasquad game and put on a BP show here on Tuesday with Hall of Famer Tony Perez offering encouragement.

Of all the young pitchers in camp -- and there are a ton of good ones here in Jupiter -- Miller is probably the closest to being guaranteed a starting spot in the rotation behind Scott Olsen and Sergio Mitre. The big lefty will make his spring debut on Thursday in Fort Lauderdale against the Orioles. Trahern has more higher-level experience than Badenhop and is also in the mix to land a back-end spot. He'll start Saturday against the Cardinals here at Roger Dean Stadium. De La Cruz has a shot to stick as a reliever and Rabelo is the only one who has a spot 100-percent nailed down. It's OK for expectations to be high, but if "immediate dividends" means half a dozen Rookie-of-the-Year candidates in 2008, that's a little unrealistic. What is real is how excited the Marlins are to have them all here.

"They're all good workers and dedicated guys," Fleming said. "Everyone has the chance to play in the big leagues. We feel all of them have the chance to touch the big leagues this year and certainly next."

Other News of the Day

Another big question facing the Marlins farm system has to do with the bottom of the chain -- the lowest full-season level, that is. The Marlins took a number of young arms -- shocking as it may seem -- in last year's draft. Guys like Andrew Paulauskas (seventh round), junior college product Jay Voss (eighth) and Kyle Kaminska (25th round) all clearly can pitch a little. The Marlins have not hesitated to push guys aggressively if they are deemed ready. And there's the rub: as Fleming put it, "They're talented, but who's ready?" That will be determined this spring. Some will make the Greensboro club, some will remain here before heading to Jamestown in the New York-Penn League. ... 2007 second-round pick Mike Stanton is a physical specimen, to say the least. The outfielder stands 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds and has serious athletic ability. He only got 17 games in as a pro last year and he's pretty raw, but he's being given the opportunity to make the Greensboro club. Some in the system think he's the most athletic player the organization has ever had. ... A couple of prospects will get playing time at the hot corner, though neither will be moving there full time. Chris Coghlan, primarily a third baseman in college, has made a smooth transition to second as a pro. That's still his position, but the Marlins will have him work out at third and probably play there some once the season starts to provide positional flexibility and perhaps get him to the big leagues faster. Ditto with Gaby Sanchez, who's proven to be an adept first baseman. He's worked very hard on his agility and footwork and the Marlins will give him more than the handful of games he had at third last year. He also has some catching experience -- not that they'd return him behind the plate, but the ability to play first and third and serve as a third catcher certainly won't hurt him. ... The Marlins aren't making a big deal out of it, for obvious reasons, but right-hander Jeff Allison is back in camp. He threw his first bullpen recently and will be given an opportunity to make a club this spring.

Five Questions with Cameron Maybin

MiLB.com: With so much at stake for you this spring -- a possible spot on Opening Day -- how do you make sure you don't try to do too much to impress?

CM: Really, the only thing I can control is what I do on the field. I hope the decision will be based on that. I'm enjoying the opportunity. Me being a calm person most of the time definitely helps. I'm showing them a good work ethic and staying with my game plan ... and having fun. Hopefully, I'll make it a tough decision for them.

MiLB.com: You struggled with some shoulder problems this past fall. How are you feeling now and what have you been doing to avoid future issues?

CM: As of this point, I feel good. I did a lot of work this offseason, some rehabbing stuff to make sure everything is intact. I really focused on strengthening my shoulders, though I did work on speed training as well. I'm not sure this is the strongest I've ever been, but I feel pretty good.

MiLB.com: How has it been getting a chance to meet all of your new Marlins teammates?

CM: It's been fun. I got to meet most of the guys at FanFest. There are a lot of young guys here. That's a different look for me. Everybody's been good to deal with, been working hard and are looking forward to helping the organization get better. It's a good group in the clubhouse.

MilB.com: If you could have dinner with any figure, past or present, who would it be and why?

CM: Probably Jackie Robinson. I had dinner with Ken Griffey Jr., so I got that out of the way. Robinson just paved the way, opened a lot of avenues for African-Americans, especially in this sport. I'd love to know how he dealt with all of the struggles.

MilB.com: How do you think you look in black and teal?

CM: Good. Real good. I like it. I'll like it even better if I get to wear it on Opening Day.

Lasting Impression

In 2005 and 2006, the Marlins had the opportunity to draft six pitchers in the first round. The four high schoolers from the 2005 draft joined the college guy from the '06 draft to form a formidable five making their way quickly through the Minors.

One of the high schoolers, lefty Sean West, was as promising as any of them until elbow problems forced him to undergo surgery on a torn labrum last March and miss all of the 2007 season. As a result, he was kind of the forgotten man as the other first-rounders progressed.

Expectations this spring were understandably limited. Tommy John surgery may almost be routine these days, but it still takes some time for an arm to regain strength. All of that caution may be thrown out the window now as West has arrived at camp in the best shape of his career and is throwing very well, loose and pain free. If he keeps looking this good, he'll close the gap in a hurry.

"He's way ahead of where we thought he'd be following [surgery]," Fleming said. "I think he will catch up fast."

Parting Shots

Once upon a time, Dallas McPherson was where guys like Cameron Maybin are now: A top prospect creating a buzz in the Minors and preparing for a long big-league career. Back in 2004, Dally Mac hit .317 with 40 homers, 126 RBIs and a 1.054 OPS across two levels. Since then, he's played in a grand total of 78 games over the past three years and none at all in 2007 following back surgery. Now he's back, healthy and actually has a shot at a big-league job.

Now 27, McPherson brings his long swing and power potential to Florida to compete for the third-base job on Opening Day. His primary competitors are Jose Castillo and Jorge Cantu, both castoffs from other teams. It's not just the competition for rotation spots here in Jupiter -- McPherson simply feels fortunate to be in the mix, any mix at all.

"I have a chance to be back on the field and that's huge," McPherson said. "Not being on the field for a year, having my career get sidetracked, [an opportunity] is all you can ask for."

McPherson, who is playing and swinging without pain, is vying to replace Miguel Cabrera. No one is expecting him, or either of the other two, to approach Cabrera's production, but there's no question that McPherson has the most offensive upside, even if he's not quite as agile defensively. Even if he doesn't win the job, though, McPherson can't complain about where he's landed when it looked like his career was all but over.

"I like the environment here now," McPherson said. "It's enjoyable to see all these young guys trying to win jobs, guys being able to compete and get the opportunity to perform."

The very fact that McPherson is able to join them should automatically qualify him as a comeback player of the year candidate.