Draft, trades restock Marlins
It would be easy to take the Marlins to task for dismantling their club the way they did this winter, if not for the fact that we've seen this before and witnessed the results.
Florida carved up its team after winning the World Series in 1997 only to rebuild and reclaim the championship six years later. While no one is suggesting the Marlins will turn around and be playoff contenders in the next year or two, let alone win another World Series, if you're going to tear apart a team, you have to like the way the Fish did it.
The Marlins traded away so much of their Major League team this winter but received a bevy of top-flight talent in return, particularly from the Mets and Red Sox. With a glut of hot, young pitchers -- Florida chose five in the first round last year -- the Marlins should have an exciting staff for years to come, and can use the left-over arms as chips to help rebuild a club that still includes Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera.
With Jeremy Hermida, Hanley Ramirez, Scott Olsen and Josh Johnson expected to be on the Opening Day roster, here's a closer look at what the Marlins have down below.
Five faves
Anibal Sanchez, RHP
A tight shoulder kept Sanchez on the shelf for part of the spring and dampened some of the expectations the Marlins had of him. He'll start the season in the Minor Leagues, probably with Double-A Carolina, but should move quickly, and once he's proven he's completely healthy, he'll probably see some time in south Florida before all is said and done. He threw for the first time this spring earlier this week and had no after effects. Along with Ramirez, Sanchez was one of the cornerstones of the Marlins' offseason rebuilding plan. The Venezuelan native, who is three years removed from elbow surgery, has a blistering mid-90s fastball and an equally devastating changeup. He has the potential to be a frontline starter for many years.
Anibal Sanchez gets a K in the EL playoffs
Yusmeiro Petit, RHP
Petit has a body like former Met Sid Fernandez and fortunately for Florida he also pitches as well as "El Sid." The Fish acquired Petit in the Carlos Delgado deal and he, like Sanchez, figures to be a staple in Florida's rotation for many years. His fastball is the opposite of Sanchez's, touching 90 on a good day. Petit, however, relies on excellent command and a deceptive motion to keep hitters guessing. He dominated at Double-A Binghamton last season, going 9-3 with a 2.91 ERA, striking out 130 in 118 innings. Though he got banged around in three starts upon his promotion to Norfolk, he was terrific in the playoffs, striking out 14 in a game against Toledo. He'll start the season at Triple-A Albuquerque. "His ability to command his pitches really stands out," said Jim Fleming, Florida's vice president for player development and scouting. "With him, it's about being able to pitch and using everything he has."
Yusmeiro Petit sets the side down in order at the Futures Game
Renyel Pinto, LHP
Pinto has as much upside as Sanchez and Petit but seems to have more trouble figuring out what to do with his world of talent. Visa problems delayed his arrival at Spring Training in 2005 and when he finally got on the mound at Triple-A Iowa, he was hit hard, allowing 24 earned runs in 23 innings, which got him a ticket back to West Tenn. Pinto didn't pout, though, and ripped through the Southern League to the tune of a 10-3 record with a 2.71 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 130 innings. His control isn't always sharp and he struggles to find the plate with a vast array of quality pitches. He'll be looking for answers again at Triple-A to start the season.
Renyel Pinto strikes out Prince Fielder
| 2005 Organizational Record | |||||
|
LEVEL AAA AA A (Adv) A A (Short) R |
LEAGUE PCL SL FSL SAL NY-P GCL |
TEAM Albuquerque Carolina Jupiter Greensboro Jamestown GCL Marlins TOTAL: |
W 78 77 64 67 31 24 341 |
L 56 57 71 71 44 30 339 |
PCT .542 .575 .474 .486 .413 .444 .501 |
Gaby Hernandez, RHP
The former south Florida schoolboy star returned home when the Mets sent him to the Fish in the Paul Lo Duca deal. Hernandez was dominant in the Gulf Coast and South Atlantic Leagues but when it came time to move up in competition to the Florida State League last season, he struggled. He'll start the season in the FSL this year, where he will work on his off-speed stuff, a much-needed complement to his low-90s fastball. Hernandez has guts and doesn't back down on the mound, relying on great mechanics and a good game plan. He threw a no-hitter on Father's Day last year and followed that up by winning the one-game playoff, beating Houston's top prospect Troy Patton, to give Hagerstown the first-half title in the Sally League's Northern Division.
| 2005 Organizational Leaders | |||
|
Average Home Runs RBIs Stolen Bases ERA Wins Strikeouts Saves |
.346 28 106 40 2.22 12 148 34 |
Joe Dillon Brad McCann Brad McCann Eric Reed Chris Volstad James Russ James Russ Chris Mobley |
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Complete MiLB statistics |
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Chris Volstad, RHP
The 16th overall pick in last season's draft had a solid debut, going 4-3 with a 2.22 ERA while splitting 13 starts between the Gulf Coast and New York-Penn Leagues. The Marlins like his fantastic attitude and makeup, not to mention his low-90s fastball and strong off-speed stuff. Look for him to begin the year in Class A Greensboro, but with a strong showing there, he could be in Jupiter before long. "He's just about everything that you want," Fleming said. "He's 6-foot-7 and has tremendous body control. He has three present pitches and a tremendous feel for pitching. He's aggressive and isn't afraid of contact. Young pitchers have a tendency to want to strike everyone out, but he just wants to get them out."
Volstad talks with Jonathan Mayo after the NYPL ASG
Others to watch: Ricky Nolasco, RHP; Taylor Tankersley, LHP; Robert Andino, SS; Brad McCann, 1B; Aaron Thompson, LHP
Cinderella story
Kris Harvey, 3B
Some might say Harvey's Cinderella story began in 1987, when, as a three-year-old he watched his father break into the Major Leagues with the Angels. Five years later Bryan Harvey was an All-Star closer for the expansion Marlins, and now his son has a chance to enjoy similar success in south Florida. The Fish tabbed Harvey in the second round out of Clemson, and he responded by hitting nine homers and 38 RBIs in 263 at-bats. He only picked up nine walks so there are some patience issues at the plate, but overall he has the makings of a nice feel-good story as he completes his transition from the outfield to third base. He'll start the season at Greensboro. "He's one of the best hitters in our system," Fleming said. "The ball comes off his bat special. He has other tools, and he can run. He's also adapting to third base very well. He's a scout's dream. He has a good demeanor and the pedigree. There's really no downside to him. He's three months into a new position and we wanted to get him comfortable there, and so far he's looked good."
Breakout year
Taylor Tankersley, RHP
This 2004 first-round pick missed nearly two months with tendinitis in his shoulder and the problem was an issue for much of the season, either in fact or after the fact. He split time between Greensboro and Jupiter, posting a 3-7 record with a 4.70 ERA. He fared better in four starts in the Florida State League, striking out 19 and putting up a 3.38 ERA. Tankersley is a character, that's for sure, showing a great deal of personality. The Fish have switched him to the bullpen, where his quirkiness will probably help him have a big year.
Taylor Tankersley records an out during AFL action
2005 draft recap
1. Chris Volstad, RHP
4-3, 2.22 ERA, 65 IP, 68 H, 15 BB, 55 K
The Palm Beach Gardens High product has the chance to be a real local-boy-makes-good story. He grew up about 90 minutes north of Miami, and is already among the best pitching prospects in what has become a pitching-rich organization. Volstad showed more poise last season than your average high school-age hurler, a fact that hasn't been lost on the front office. He looks comfortable on the mound, clearly believing he belongs.
Chris Volstad records an out at the NYPL ASG
2. Aaron Thompson, LHP
3-6, 3.96 ERA, 52 IP, 67 H, 20 BB, 58 K
The second of five hurlers chosen by the Marlins in the first round, Thompson went 22nd out of Second Baptist High in Houston. Thompson is much like Volstad in that he is mature on the mound, handling himself as if he were much older and more experienced. He has a low-90s fastball but needs to work on his complementary pitches.
3. Jacob Marceaux, RHP
3-8, 7.56 ERA, 67 IP, 96 H, 22 BB, 44 K
The McNeese State product is the only college pitcher among the five drafted in the first round, yet he seemed to have the hardest time making the adjustment to pro ball. His fastball touches the mid-90s and his secondary pitches -- slider, curve and change -- are all quality.
4. Ryan Tucker, RHP
4-4, 5.12 ERA, 46 IP, 56 H, 24 BB, 41 K
The Fish were able to land Tucker with the compensation pick they received from the Giants for the Armando Benitez signing. He's got great life on a fastball that has crept into the high-90s at times. Tucker also isn't afraid to brush someone back with that pitch but needs to work on refining his off-speed stuff. "He's very aggressive, and it's all about being aggressive," Fleming said. "Those two [Tucker and Volstad] are very good to watch, because both are aggressive but they have a different style and pitch to their personality, which is important. We don't want them to be something they're not. Chris is a sinkerball pitcher, and Tucker is a straight power pitcher. We want him to understand that we want him to be aggressive early in the count. He'll get contact, but hopefully he'll have more swings and misses."
5. Sean West, LHP
2-5, 3.10 ERA, 49 IP, 50 H, 12 BB, 54 K
The 6-foot-8 southpaw certainly stands out in a crowd, both for his size and his ability on the mound. His low-90s fastball has some movement, though some of his secondary pitches need some refining. But hey, he was in high school at this time last season so there's plenty of time for growth.
Best of the rest: Brett Hayes, C; Cody Allen, 3B; Chris Leroux, RHP; Jim Brauer, RHP
Predictions
Organizational MVP: Assuming that Ramirez and Hermida stay in Miami for most of the season, you can make a case that Florida's top dozen prospects are pitchers, so picking an MVP will be difficult since we (that's the royal we) don't like to give the MVP to a pitcher. So, we'll dig a little and put the pressure on Harvey. He was also a top-flight pitcher in college, so he's used to all kinds of situations and should handle Greensboro with aplomb.
Pitcher of the Year: Here's where the dogfight begins. Sanchez would be a logical choice, considering his upside. Hernandez would be a great choice, too. But after watching Petit for the last two seasons in the Mets system, he never ceases to amaze and therefore gets the nod.
Team to beat: Greensboro looks like it just might be the place to be if you want to see a winner. With oodles of pitching, and Harvey expected to be patrolling the middle of the lineup, it makes sense that this team will be a fun bunch to watch.
The other guy: Ricky Nolasco could turn out to be the best part of all the trades Florida made this winter. He was 20-7 with a 3.21 ERA in 46 Southern League starts over the last year and a half. He should be ready to handle Triple-A now after a forgettable stint with Iowa in 2004. Look for him to have a big year in Albuquerque and to be one of the first Fish promotions this season.
Quotable
Vice president for player development and scouting Jim Fleming on taking five pitchers in the first round:
"It wasn't by design. I believe you take what the draft gives you. Those guys were all extremely high on our board. We didn't say we were going to go out and take pitching. You never walk away from pitching, though. You can never have enough."
Kevin Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com.