MLB scout sizes up Marlins’ prospects and veterans
On the eve of Opening Day, we solicited opinions on some of the Marlins’ young prospects and veterans from a National League scout who watched the team several times this spring. The feedback:
The scout’s views on both Jazz Chisholm, who won the second base job this spring after batting .266 with three homers and six RBI; and Isan Diaz, who was sent to Triple A after hitting 2 for 34 with 13 strikeouts this spring:
“If he can make better contact, I can see Chisholm becoming a really good player. He swings straight up, from his butt, and there will be some swing and miss in him for sure. But he will get enough balls in the air to provide some power. There’s some flash to his game. I wasn’t surprised he beat out Diaz. He’s more athletic than Diaz and a better defender than Diaz.”
Chisholm needs to become at least an above-average bigleague starter to validate the trade of pitcher Zac Gallen, who has a sterling 2.80 ERA in 20 starts for Arizona since the trade but is now dealing with a hairline fracture in his right forearm.
After Diaz was demoted to Triple A, he posted a picture of big question mark on Instagram but then deleted it. The Marlins plan to use him at both second and third base at Jacksonville.
The scout — who requested anonymity because he’s not authorized to speak about another team’s players — on outfielder Monte Harrison, who will open the season at Triple A Jacksonville after hitting .170 (8 for 47 with 26 strikeouts) last season with the Marlins and 2 for 19 with five strikeouts this spring:
“He’s a hell of a defensive center fielder, but I fear he’s always going to be a swing-andmiss guy, like Lewis Brinson .I don’t have a lot of hope. They can’t fix the swing. I like what they’ve done down there, but what was a horrible trade with [Christian] Yelich. And they didn’t have to do it. They’re going to be 0 for on all four guys” — Brinson, Harrison, Diaz and Jordan Yamamoto, who was designated for assignment.
On first baseman Lewin Diaz, who will begin the season in Triple A: “He’s going to be a solid, steady big-leaguer, a good major-league player. He uses the whole field, and I think he’s going to be a major-league regular. I think he will be average over power. His biggest impact will be defensively.”
On left-hander Trevor Rogers, who will open the season in the Marlins rotation and was
3-0 with a 2.84 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 19 innings this spring: “He’s going to be really good. He’s got size, velocity and feel for a secondary pitch. Very impressed.”
On right-hander Sixto Sanchez, who is expected to join the Marlins’ rotation a week or two into the season after his arm strength is sufficiently built up: “He looks a little heavy to me from last year. The arm strength is still there, obviously. His breaking ball is inconsistent at times. He’s got a ways to go to be a true pitcher but has great stuff.”
On right-hander Nick Neidert (2.84 ERA, 15 strikeouts in 12 2⁄3innings), who’s likely headed to Triple A: “Not a big fan. He doesn’t have enough to go through a lineup more than once.”
The scout, on the top of the rotation: “On good days Sandy Alcantara is an ace; on bad days he’s a No. 2. … [Pablo] Lopez knows how to pitch, very intelligent, competes, solid big-league starter. … [Elieser] Hernandez knows how to pitch. Great Rule 5 pickup. His stuff is not great but his command is and you like his pitchability and ability to throw a strike. He can throw a secondary pitch for a strike when behind in the pitch count.”
On likely closer Anthony Bass: “Bass is really good, has a good hard slider. To be determined whether he’s better than [2020 Marlins closer Brandon] Kintzler,” who is now with the Phillies.
One veteran he’s interested to see: Catcher Jorge Alfaro. “For me, he’s a guy that underperforms in most areas even though he has above average skills. I like his athleticism, but he doesn’t call a good game. Maybe this is the year he turns it around.”
CHATTER
LSU receiver Ja’Marr
Chase and UF tight end Kyle Pitts were already elite prospects and they did nothing to change that during glorious showings at their Pro Days on Wednesday.
“Chase is ridiculously talented!” ESPN’s Todd McShay said after their Pro Days. “His 41-inch vertical and 11-foot broad confirms the lower-body explosiveness we all see on tape.
I’ll be shocked if he gets past Miami at No. 6, and reuniting with Joe Burrow in Cincy at 5 is a legit possibility. [Pitts and Chase] are the two best pass catchers in the class and they should both be off the board by pick 6.”
UM players continue raving about young quarterbacks Tyler Van Dyke and Jake Garcia. “Van Dyke has an arm like no other, puts balls in places others can’t,” safety Bubba Bolden said Wednesday. “Garcia has crazy, Patrick Mahomes throws sometimes. They’re on a path to being great.”
Even though Avantae Williams and five-star summer arrival James Williams will be part of the safety competition this summer, Bolden said he, Amari Carter and Gurvan
Hall “are the three best safeties. That’s how it’s going to be throughout the season.” OK then.
There is a way the Heat could afford to both re-sign
Victor Oladipo and do a signand-trade for Kyle Lowry this summer within cap rules, but that scenario would force Miami to operate under a hard cap next season and Oladipo, Lowry and
Duncan Robinson likely would each need to take a couple million less than what they ideally want monetarily to make that part of it work.