Archive for July, 2010

In a move quite similar to the one pulled two seasons ago for reliever Arthur Rhodes, the Marlins dealt starter prospect Rick VandenHurk to the Baltimore Orioles for lefty reliever Will Ohman. Let’s cut to the chase and ask what this move will do for the Marlins. What we give up The Marlins officially gave up VandenHurk today, but it seems as if they had given up on Hurk for some time now. Following a solid 82-inning performance in 2009 during which VandenHurk showed a changed approach and significantly better control than in previous seasons, the Marlins still passed him [...]

A couple of days ago, the Marlins dealt Jorge Cantu away for a pair of minor leaguers, Evan Reed and Omar Poveda. I won’t pretend to know what these players are all about, but I’ll let prospect maven Bryan Smith of FanGraphs fill us in: [Poveda] never had a particularly good fastball, so there has to be some concern that he’ll return to the mound without a heater to speak of. If so, it’s unlikely to project that he’d be able to carve out a big league career. But, he was a guy that had a feel for a change-up [...]

Editor’s note: Posting will be sporadic between yesterday (Monday) and Wednesday, as I am preparing to move out of Gainesville, FL. After Wednesday, you should see a little more of me. Thanks for the patience, loyal reader(s). -MJ After the stupid injury suffered two nights ago by Chris Coghlan, any shot of the Marlins trading Dan Uggla or Cody Ross by this upcoming trade deadline. The Fish were probably considering a move of at least Ross (with Uggla increasingly likely to sign a multi-year deal) in order to pick up some returns and save money next season, but the Fish are [...]

As we approach the trade deadline, rumors swirl as usual about the fate of many players, including quite a few Marlins. My general opinion is that the Marlins should be dealing this season, as 2010 is more or less over in terms of playoff contention and the team has a few players heading into their third year of arbitration that might get too pricey for the limited payroll. I make the argument, among other points, in this season’s Marlin Maniac Trade Deadline Primer, which you can check out and purchase here. Amidst the news of potential interest in Marlins players [...]

After last night’s ugly loss, it is not all that surprising that the Marlins designated Nate Robertson for assignment (along with sending backup catcher Brett Hayes to the 15-day DL) and brought up reliever Jorge Sosa to replace him. This move comes with a few interesting implications, which I think are worth mentioning.

Yesterday night’s game was wild to say the least, and an improbable victory for the Marlins over the Colorado Rockies. The Marlins get the win against the usually dominant Ubaldo Jimenez, who did not look sharp in the outing, giving up four runs while striking out just five and walking three. Our starter, Anibal Sanchez, suffered a similar fate, allowing four runs (two earned) over six innings while striking out four and walking two. Into the late game, there were three very clearly defining moments of the game, and they caused the tide to shift dramatically to either side. Let’s [...]

Tonight, the Marlins begin a four-game set against the Colorado Rockies, our expansion partner. Colorado Rockies (50-41) vs. Florida Marlins, July 19-22, Games 92-95 NL East Standings Tm W L Win% GB ATL 54 38 .587 – NYM 49 43 .533 5.0 PHI 48 43 .527 5.5 FLA 44 47 .484 9.5 WSN 40 52 .435 14.0 Stadium: Sun Life Stadium Five-year Run PF*: 0.99 Five-year HR PF*: 0.97 Stadium Dimensions: Left Field: 330 ft. Left-Center: 361 Center Field: 404 Right-Center: 361 Right Field: 345 *Five-year regressed park factors provided by Patriot here

Over the weekend, the Marlins participated in three shutouts against the Washington Nationals. It’s a shame that we did not end up on the winning side of all three, but I think the Fish will gladly take two of three shutouts and win the series over the Nats. Let’s take a look at some interesting points in the series. Series Hero: Josh Johnson (0.353 WPA) Series Goat: Chris Coghlan (-0.177 WPA) Impressed By: Alejandro Sanabia (5 1/3 IP, 0 R, 5 K, 2 BB, 0 HR, 0 H) Depressed By: Ricky Nolasco (5 1/3 IP, 4 R, 8 K, 1 [...]

Tonight we start off the second half of the season with a three-game set versus the Washington Nationals. Tonight’s game is the highlight for reasons that you will see quite shortly. Washington Nationals (39-50) vs. Florida Marlins, July 16-18, Games 89-91 NL East Standings Tm W L Win% GB ATL 53 36 .596 – NYM 48 41 .539 5.0 PHI 47 41 .534 5.5 FLA 42 46 .477 10.5 WSN 39 50 .438 14.0 Stadium: Sun Life Stadium Five-year Run PF*: 0.99 Five-year HR PF*: 0.97 Stadium Dimensions: Left Field: 330 ft. Left-Center: 361 Center Field: 404 Right-Center: 361 Right [...]

We conclude our review series by taking a look at the Marlins’ pitching staff. Admittedly, you probably already know the answers to the three questions I’ll be asking, but let’s play the game anyway, shall we? Pitching: Team Runs Allowed: 384 Team ERA: 4.04 Team FIP: 3.79 Team xFIP: 4.23 It i hard to believe that, with all the supposed struggles of the Marlins’ pitching staff, that the team is ranked 3rd in the majors in FIP and tied for 12th in the bigs in ERA. The FIP mark is especially surprising, though the team xFIP of 4.23 indicates that [...]