Miami Marlins RTD: Spring Training Questions

Greater Impact for 2016 Miami Marlins: Jim Benedict or Barry Bonds?  

Sean Millerick: Barry Bonds, although this is more because of his potential to be a negative hire than his potential ceiling as an inspired move.  One the one hand, Bonds could pass on some really useful knowledge that helps develop Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna into true offensive weapons in their own right.  But he could also quit, or stir up acrimony in the clubhouse; he’ll certainly set the record for number of cameras on a hitting coach, and even that could pose problems down the line if not handled properly. Benedict is the better hire overall, but you’ll see those benefits play out over the long term.   

Max Phillips: Hinted at above, the greater impact in 2016 will be from Jim Benedict. From the onset of Spring Training, a new clubhouse culture and comradery amongst the pitching staff will be felt. Marlins assistant GM Mike Berger referred to Benedict as “the man behind the curtain” during his 7 years with the Pirates. It’s all about getting the most value out of each individual pitcher and that is Benedict’s forte. The track record doesn’t lie with names such as Fransisco Liriano, Mark Melancon, J.A. Happ, and Edinson Volquez all reaching full potential under Benedict’s watch.   

Eric Quiñones: Barry Bonds will have a greater impact for the Fish in the 2016 season. He will have the ability to help our young hitters become better hitters. He can share his knowledge, and help them go to the plate with a better idea of how to approach each of their plate appearances. I think guys like Ozuna, and Realmuto can become better hitters just by learning from Bonds. I think Stanton will gain more knowledge on his approach at the plate. Stanton tends to get pitched around often which is something that Bonds is accustomed to as he was pitched around in his playing days. He can help Stanton in that way. Bonds can help these young guys get a better understanding and come up to the plate with a better approach.  

Eddie Noy: Benedict, no question. I’m all for the Bonds addition though, if nothing else but for a little national media buzz in Jupiter over the next few weeks. Bonds is far and away the greatest player in MLB history, but can he be a great coach? I don’t know, it’s a completely different skill set. He’s been training with Dexter Fowler for a couple years, and that’s gone well for Dexter. Benedict on the other hand is hopefully just a lesser known Ray Searage, and will bring that magic touch to Miami. He has established a reputation for getting the most out of mediocre pitchers, and the Marlins certainly have that in spades after St. Jose.  

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