Bonds sees power, potential
JUPITER — Concluding his first spring training as a major league hitting coach, Barry Bonds put his stamp of approval on the lineup that will carry the Miami Marlins’ hopes into the regular season.
“We have an offense that can play,” Bonds said Wednesday before the team broke camp at the Roger Dean Stadium complex. “They’re all still young, they’re still developing. We have good combinations of things.
“We have speed, we have power. We have three guys on this team that can hit 25 or more home runs. That’s a hard combination to put on one team to have three guys that can really tattoo a baseball.”
Bonds’ task, along with returning coach Frank Menechino, is to improve an offense that was 14th of 15 National League teams in runs scored last season, although their .260 team average was fourth.
The regulars going into this season are much the same as ended 2015, with one major difference. Giancarlo Stanton is back after playing only 74 games, his season ended June 26 by a broken left hamate.
Stanton, Justin Bour and Marcell Ozuna have the power potential Bonds referred to. But other factors will determine whether the Marlins generate the consistent run production needed to win.
“Everybody’s got to play their role right,” Bonds said. “Not every time do you have to get up and get a big hit. Sometimes you got to
do other things— manufacture walks, steal a base. Alot of things come in play with that.”
First-year manager Don Mattingly has Stanton in the clean-up spot after he primarily batted third in recent years. Stanton follows, Dee Gordon, Ozuna and Christian Yelich.
The variable during spring training was switching between Bour and Martin Prado in the fifth and six spots. Bour, who hit 23 homers last season, has intriguing left-handed power at first base but remains unreliable against left-handers.
Thus, Prado may offer better protection batting behind Stanton, and Mattingly said a platoon situation at first remains a possibility.
“I’m not sure if Martin shouldn’t be the guy all the time,” Mattingly said of the fifth spot. “We’ll see, andwe still haven’t made a decision on [Bour] every day or getting whoever in there from the right-hand side at first base. We’ll still tinker with that.”
There is depth at the bottom of the order with J.T. Realmuto and Adeiny Hechavarria, both coming off productive seasons and hitting .300 or better this spring.
“Guys have got to continue to get better,” said Mattingly, adding that as an observer of the Marlins while managing the Dodgers last season, “I liked their lineup, I think they were a team that hit for a pretty high average, got a lot of hits but didn’t score a lot of runs.
“That tells you a lot. Sometimes it tells you that you’re not doing the little things as far as moving runners, getting guys in from third — the little things that it takes to win a game. So that part of it, you try to knit that all together and make sure they understand the importance of a lot of the detail things thatwe do.
“That’s where you see the inconsistencies of what’s gone on in the past. Hopefully it’s something that ends.”
Rotation set
Mattingly confirmed what has been apparent for some time that Adam Conley and Jarred Cosart will join Wei-Yin Chen, Jose Fernandez and Tom Koehler in the starting rotation. Conley will pitch the third game of the season, in Washington, followed by Koehler and Cosart.
Conley, a 25-year-old lefthander who was 4-1 in 11 starts for the Marlins in 2015, was impressive throughout spring training with a 1.86 ERA in 9 2⁄ innings.
3 Cosart, attempting to bounce back from a season plagued by recurring bouts with vertigo, allowed no runs in 9 2⁄3.
“Talked about it all spring, he’s been a guy on a mission,” Mattingly said of Conley. “He’s been sharp with all his stuff.”
The rotation is young but has a desirable mix with two lefties, including Opening Day starter Chen, whoat 30 is the senior member. Chen, who signed as a free agent in the offseason, was 46-32 with a 3.72 ERA in four seasons with the Orioles.
“We’re not asking these guys to go out and throw shutouts every night. Basically, keep us in the game and give us a chance to win,” Mattingly said.
Phelps sharp
David Phelps, who will fill a long-relief role, retired all nine batters he faced in Wednesday’s 3-0 loss to the Cardinals, the Marlins’ spring finale at Roger Dean Stadium. Phelps struck out six while throwing 34 of 43 pitches for strikes and topping out at 95 mph on his fastball.
Returning from a stress fracture in his right forearm that cut his 2015 season short, Phelps has allowed one run and four hits in eight innings this spring.
“I’ve shown I can pitch short relief, long relief and
“We have an offense that can play. ... We have speed, we have power.” Barry Bonds, hitting coach
even start. Whenever my name is called I’m going to go out there and try to pitch like I did today,” said Phelps, who described himself as a utility pitcher. “I don’t mind it, really. I love going out there in all kinds of situations.”
Kelly returns
Utility infielder Don Kelly, who exercised an out clause in his contract Tuesday, re-signed a minor league contract with the Marlins. He will likely start the season at Triple-A New Orleans.