Miami Marlins Series Preview: Marlins to Face Matt Harvey

Apr 10, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (2) celebrates the win over the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field. The Rockies defeated the Cubs 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

EK: Is a Troy Tulowitzki trade ever happening for the Mets?

DA: I think the potential of a Tulowitzki trade has more to do with the Rockies than the Mets. The Mets certainly have the prospects to get it done, but it simply doesn’t seem as if the Rockies are ready to be reasonable with their demands. If Tulowitzki is healthy and raking in July, perhaps they’ll get a team to ship a bunch of top prospects to them while eating all of Tulo’s remaining salary. Whether that team will be the Mets remains to be seen. With Zack Wheeler out and some uncertainty surrounding Noah Syndergaard, the Mets simply might not be willing to surrender what it will take to land Tulo.

EK: Can you give us a quick scouting report on the starting pitching the Marlins will face this series?

DA: Dillon Gee is a perfectly adequate back-end of the rotation starter with fringy stuff, but he was hit hard in his first start of the season and might not be long for the rotation. Bartolo Colon has been spectacular so far this year, and his fastball velocity has been up a bit – a huge help since he throws his fastball so often. Jacob deGrom has been very good over his first two starts, but hasn’t had his best stuff yet – especially his secondary stuff. I expect that to change during his next start. We all know what Matt Harvey is. After dominating in his first start, Harvey was human on Tuesday, which is something I don’t think bodes well for the Marlins come Sunday. It’s not often that Harvey will have two straight so-so starts.

EK: Any bold predictions for this series? Will the Mets continue their hot start?

DA: I think the Mets will continue to play well, and the difference between splitting the series and taking 3 out of 4 might just hinge on how well Dillon Gee performs on Thursday night. I expect the offense to continue to improve. Another x-factor for the Mets (obviously) will be working around Giancarlo Stanton, who hasn’t been himself so far this season but is by far and away the most dangerous bat in the lineup.

There you have it. We want to thank Daniel for giving us such great insight into the Mets, and remember to check out the Rising Apple for all their excellent coverage of latest Mets’ news and notes. Also be sure to follow Daniel and the Rising Apple on Twitter.

Here are the questions I answered for Daniel (coming soon).

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