Marlins enter spring training
Miami looking to turn the page with the start of a new season.
After an offseason of seemingly endless J.T. Realmuto trade rumors, the Miami Marlins enter spring training looking to turn the page with the start of a new season.
For the first time since 2014, the Marlins will have a new starting catcher after trading Realmuto to the Philadelphia Phillies for Sixto Sanchez, Jorge Alfaro, Will Stewart and international bonus pool money.
With pitchers and catchers reporting to Jupiter on Wednesday, the Marlins can finally shift away from hot stove rumors and focus on actual baseball. While full-squad workouts won’t begin until Monday, Miami’s arms and backstops will get a leg up on the spring training season.
Here are four key storylines to watch for during spring training:
How does the starting rotation shape up?
While the initial media forecasts for 2019 haven’t been overly optimistic, the Marlins do have a good problem heading into camp — too many starting pitchers.
Miami will have seven players battling for five rotation spots — José Ureña, Dan Straily, Wei-Yin Chen, Trevor Richards, Pablo López, Sandy Alcantara and Caleb Smith.
Ureña, Straily and Chen are the veterans of the group, while the other four players showed flashes during their rookie seasons last year. With the Marlins still in the early stages of their rebuild, player development will continue to be paramount — especially with their young arms.
Will the Marlins trade any of the veterans to clear out room for the youngsters? Will two of the young arms start the year in Triple-A or the bullpen? How the Marlins handle the starting rotation will be key for the upcoming season.
Alfaro takes over at catcher
After being swapped in the Realmuto trade last week, Alfaro enters spring training as the team’s starter behind the plate. That means much of the next six weeks in Jupiter will be centered around learning and adjusting to a new pitching staff. At Saturday’s FanFest, Alfaro said he just started to meet some of the pitchers that day.
The 25-year-old Alfaro brings a strong defensive profile to Miami. Last season, Alfaro ranked fifth in Baseball Prospectus’ pitch framing, saving 12.3 runs during 2018. His pop time also rated in the 91st percentile league wide.
At the plate, he brings plenty of raw power and potential. In 108 games, Alfaro hit .262/.324/.407 with 10 home runs and 16 doubles. The catcher ranked in the 83rd percentile in hardhit percentage and 92nd for exit velocity.
The biggest area of focus will be plate discipline, where he posted a jarring strikeout/walk split of 138 to 18.
Backup catcher battle
With Alfaro taking over the starting job, the backup catcher position will be up for grabs in spring training. Bryan Holaday spent last season as the Marlins’ backup, appearing in 61 games, but was outrighted after the season. He later agreed to a minor-league contract with an invitation to camp. The 31-year-old Holaday hit .205/.261/.258 with one home run. Holaday was strong defensively, throwing out 45 percent of base runners.
Chad Wallach may have the leg up for the moment after the Marlins elected to keep him on the 40-man roster in the offseason. While he spent most of 2018 in Triple-A, he was Miami’s Opening Day catcher with Realmuto starting the season on the injured list. Wallach played in 15 games, hitting .178/.275/.267 with one home run.
New-look bullpen
After struggling down the stretch last season, the Marlins bullpen got a makeover heading into 2019. Gone are Kyle Barraclough, Nick Wittgren, Javy Guerra and Drew Ruckinski, who all logged significant innings last year.
The Marlins added plenty of newcomers with Riley Ferrell, Julian Fernandez, Nick Anderson and Austin Brice. Returning are Adam Conley, Drew Steckenrider, Tayron Guerrero, Jarlin Garcia, Elieser Hernandez, Tyler Kinley and Merandy Gonzalez.
The team will likely carry eight relievers, so there will be competition throughout spring training. As Rule 5 selections, Ferrell and Fernandez need to stay on the 25-man active roster for the entire season or they’ll be returned to their prior teams, meaning they likely have a heads up in the competition.
Jose Quijada, who spent last year in Triple-A, will have a chance to crack the bullpen as a left-handed specialist. Former FAU closer and Oakland A’s reliever R.J. Alvarez will also try to earn a spot after signing a minorleague contract with Miami.