Three ex-Marlins make return to Miami
MIAMI An 11 a.m. phone call revived Brad Hand’s career. It came three days after the Marlins waived him, the lefthander’s career in limbo and his professional outlook uncertain. Hand and his wife, Morgan, were adjusting to life with new baby Lila and he’d just lost his job.
“We waited to see what our next adventure would be,” Hand recalled Monday afternoon at Marlins Park.
Then the Padres called him and Hand headed from Jupiter to San Diego the next day. Fifteen months later, he returned to Miami after he was selected as an All-Star for the first time in his career. His locker Monday in the home clubhouse was “two or three” stalls down from his old one.
Hand is one of three former Marlins back in South Florida for the All-Star Game, joining Royals lefthander Jason Vargas and Indians lefty Andrew Miller. There will be more former Marlins in Tuesday’s All-Star Game than current Marlins (two).
The trio of ex-Marlins each left the franchise under different circumstances and they have had their careers zig into different cities and zag into different roles.
Hand’s success this season is perhaps themost surprising. A second-round pick by the Marlins in 2008, Hand owns a 2.30 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 42 relief appearances for the Padres.
“I always believed in myself and I knew what I was capable of doing,” hesaid. “I could never really find what itwas that Iwas going to do [in Miami].”
In Miami, Hand was billed as a starting pitcher but instead was involved in a rotating door of roles. He was a starter and a middle reliever and a long reliever all while shipping back and forth between the minor and major leagues.
“Getting bounced back and forth between starting and relieving is obviously not an easy situation to deal with,” Hand said. “Just couldn’t find what worked here and just didn’t work out.”
Miller’s success was also delayed. He floundered as a starting pitcher with the Marlins, saddled with the expectations that came with being the centerpiece return in the Miguel Cabrera trade. In parts of three seasons with the Marlins, he posted a 5.89 ERA and a 1.732WHIP.
The Marlins traded him to Boston for left-hander Dustin Richardson.
“The change of scenery was important for me,” Miller said. “Not anything against Miami, but I went to Boston andmaybe changed expectations. I went from a guy that was in the Miguel Cabrera trade to a guy who was on the [Triple-A] Pawtucket roster and trying to find a way to get to the big leagues.”
Miller repaired his career in Boston by moving to the bullpen and becoming a dominant left-handed reliever with a filthy slider. He made his first All-Star team last season as a Yankee and has a 1.42 ERA in 37 games for Cleveland this season.
Miller diagnosed his issues in Miami as a lack of consistency.
“I just never figured it out how to throw enough strikes, how to be consistent enough to find success with this organization,” Miller said. “It’s unfortunate. I wish I pitched better when Iwas here.
Vargas’ resurgence has been slightly surprising, since he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2015 at age 32. This is his first All-Star appearance after he went 12-3 with a 2.62 ERA in the first half of the season with Kansas City.
“I would love to have an answer for that,” Vargas said. “The simple answer is I’ve gotten more people out thanin the past and in situations that create runs. I think it’s probably just making some better pitches in the right situations.”