Marlins hopeful they’ve finally figured out catcher

With the Marlins set to open the season on Friday in San Francisco, we’re serving up tidbits on the four prominent newcomers: outfielders Jorge Soler and Avisail Garcia, and in today’s piece, catcher Jacob Stallings and infielder Joey Wendle:

● Catcher has haunted the organization since trading JT Realmuto to Philadelphia in 2019 for a catcher who disappointed and is no longer here (Jorge Alfaro), and elite pitching prospect who cannot stay healthy (Sixto Sanchez hasn’t pitched since 2020 and is now on a no-throw program with shoulder soreness) and a lefty prospect, Will Stewart, who was 5-8 with a 4.33 ERA at Double A last season.

Realmuto signed a five-year, $115.5 million contract with the Phillies 15 months ago, so it’s not like Miami could have afforded him. Though he’s 32, Stallings is under team control through 2024.

There’s no question about Stallings’ defense — he won a Gold Glove last season — or his ability to call a game and handle a pitching staff, all areas that were considered shortcomings for Alfaro.

Stallings’ batting average has dropped a bit in his three years with meaningful playing time — from .262 in 2019 to .248 in the COVID-shortened 2020 season to .246 last season in a career high 374 at-bats. Before last season, he never had more than 191 at-bats in a season.

The good news: His .335 onbase percentage last season ranked eighth among all catchers who played a minimum of 100 games, not that far off from Realmuto (.343).

And Stallings’ 53 RBI ranked fourth among all big-league catchers last season who played as many or fewer games as he did (112). His 20 doubles tied for eighth most among catchers, and he homered eight times.

● A right-handed hitter, Stallings inexplicably hit only .200 against lefties last season (27 for 135) but .272 against right-handers (65 for 239). For his career, the disparity is much less — .247 against lefties, .257 against righthanders.

● Defensively is where the Marlins believe he will make his biggest mark. His 2.3 defensivewins-over-replacement last season was second in baseball. And by catching 892 innings without a passed ball, he became the first NL catcher to achieve that since Johnny Bench in 1975.

What’s more, Stallings led the National League with 21 defensive runs saved, which tied Minnesota and then-Houston shortstop Carlos Correa as the most by any player.

“So much of defensive improvement and being a great defender is simply the willingness to work at it,” Pirates GM

Ben Cherington said. “Whatever metric you want to use, it’s a pretty controllable skill if one is really willing to put the time and effort and practice … and Jacob is an example of that.”

● One negative for 2021, balanced by a positive in preceding years: He threw out only 12 of 57 would-be base-stealers last season. That 21.1 percent caught stealing ranked 54th of 98 bigleague catchers.

● He became a full-time starter in 2020, after being designated for assignment or demoted multiple times

“I think what Jacob has done speaks to even if you’re down, you’re not out,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said.

● The Marlins found a versatile piece in Wendle, who is under team control for two more seasons and can play second base (218 career games), third base (182), shortstop (55), left field (16) and right field (2).

He’s good enough to be an everyday player (career .274 hitter; All-Star in 2021) but could emerge as a super utility player for the Marlins, playing several days a week at multiple positions.

In the two seasons that he has played in more than 75 games, he hit .300 (eighth in the American League), with seven homers, 61 RBI in 139 games for Tampa Bay in 2018 and .265, 11, 54 in 136 games for Tampa Bay in 2021. So when given the chance to play a lot, he produces.

“Joey is a special player,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “I think it’s fair to call him a throwback. His at-bats are grind-out at-bats where he wants to pick up big hits and really impact the team.”

● Brian Anderson is the starter at third base — unless he’s traded — but the players are similar in production. Though Anderson has more power, Wendle has the higher career batting average (.274 to .263). Anderson has the higher career on base average (.347 to .328).

Last season, Wendle had 11 homers and 54 RBI in 501 atbats, Anderson seven homers and 28 RBI in 264 at-bats before a season-ending shoulder injury. Anderson has a career .347 onbase average, Wendle .328.

● Last season, when Wendle was added to the American League All-Star team, Cash — per The Tampa Bay Times — gathered the team in the clubhouse, then announced: “Mike Trout was selected for the AllStar Game, but he can’t come. So they wanted the next-best player in the league: Joey Wendle.”

● Wendle is among only a few MLB players who don’t wear batting gloves.

“Everyone always asks me why not? To me, it’s just been why? Why would I wear them?” Wendle said. “I just prefer the feel of the skin on the bat.”

● He was third on the Rays in wins over replacement last season. During the 2020 World Series, Astros manager Dusty Baker said: “Wendle looks like Brooks Robinson or Graig Nettles in the World Series.”

● A lefty hitter, he hit .202 against left-handers last season (119 at-bats) and .287 against right-handers (.341 at bats). For his career, it’s .285 against righties,

.233 vs. lefties.

CHATTER

● Rams coach Sean McVay, who spoke at Mario Cristobal’s clinic for high school coaches last weekend, told me at the NFL owners meetings: “I had a chance to watch practice the other day. Great energy. A lot of special players. They’re going to do some special things.”

Why did McVay participate in Cristobal’s clinic? “I’ve always respected him from afar. It was the respect for program, the respect for Coach Cristobal. And it worked out having league meeting here [in South Florida].”

● According to a league source, the Dolphins rank among the teams that have sold the most new season-ticket packages, even before free agency started. And the Canes already have surpassed last season’s final season ticket sales count of 30,000.

● A bunch of Canes players —

D’Eriq King, Zach McCloud, Jon Ford, Mike Harley Jr, among others — will audition for the Dolphins on Wednesday.

● Look for the Heat to use Duncan Robinson’s contract (five years, $90 million) as a way to potentially facilitate a trade to upgrade this summer. … Jimmy Butler and coach Erik Spoelstra met recently to sort out their issues following their sideline confrontation, according to a source.

Pat Riley also was involved in those meetings, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.