Marlin Maniac RTD 12/2: Marlins 2016 Wrap and Looking Ahead

Hey there Marlin Maniacs.  After a long hiatus, the Marlin Maniac Round Table Discussion (RTD) is back.  I, for one, am very excited to have people to talk to again. Let’s talk some Marlins.

Once a week, the staff here at Marlin Maniac sits down to pull some questions out of a hat that concern everyone’s favorite baseball team.  The answers?  While those get pulled from somewhere else, we list them below for your enjoyment

Avid readers are fully encouraged to submit questions they’d like to see the staff discuss via Twitter, Facebook, or in the comments.  They are also encouraged to come up with a better title than Miami Marlins RTD.  But until that day of deliverance, let’s get to the Round Table Discussion.

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In What Area Do The Marlins Need The Most Improvement?  

Sean Millerick: They need to score more. Obviously the rotation took a severe blow with the passing of Jose Fernandez. But no available pitcher comes close to matching him, and even before the accident, prospects of bolstering the 2017 rotation with a capable No. 2 seemed far fetched. The market was just that poor. If the 2017 Marlins are going to be successful, they’re going to have to do it by piling up a lot of runs. The talent is there- Miami posted the fourth best team batting average in the game last season, and this side of the Winter Meetings anyway, looks to be returning the entire starting group. However, that same squad was just 27th in runs scored. If that isn’t fixed, it won’t matter who’s pitching.

Austyn Varney: It has to be starting pitching. Due to the heartbreaking loss of Jose Fernandez, an already struggling rotation was turned into one of the worst in the league. The Edinson Volquez signing is a step in the right direction, but it is just that, one step of many. Looking forward, the Marlins need to acquire some quality young arms that can be brought up through the farm system. Without any aces in free agency this year, that will have to be addressed through trade or will have to wait until another season. This rotation does have some potential long-term, but without a perfect job from management and the coaching staff, it could easily crumble.

David A. Marcillo: The Marlins need the most help with their starting pitching. Even before the loss of Jose Fernandez, the Fish were going to need a lot of rotation help. Now, they may be looking at one of the worst starting five in the league. They could also use a better shortstop, but the Marlins seem enamored by Adeiny Hechavarria despite almost all statistics showing him as one of the worst players in baseball.  

Kyle Rowley: The clear cut answer for me is starting pitching. I’ve seen the Marlins linked to interest in elite relievers such as Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman, but they won’t help when the starters are being pulled after four innings. The Jose Fernandez tragedy decimated an already weak rotation that will be relying on Wei-Yin Chen to perform much better than last year. The team will need to tread the line of being responsible with their money and not overpaying an average starter (like they did with Chen, by the way), but they do need to make moves on the rotation. 

Joshua Alfonso: Pitching, the offense of this team should be a strength heading into 2017. The signing of Volquez will help but this team is still without a definitive ace at the top of the rotation.   

How Would You Grade Don Mattingly In His First Season?  

Sean Millerick: B+. Yes, he can absolutely improve his in-game decision making. But it’s not like he’s Dusty Baker either. He kept the team’s head above water for so much of the season, shrugging off an 80 game suspension and sickening slump for the teams top two stars. Clubhouse culture changed overnight, and while a lot of that might speak more about who we’d be comparing him to than his own merits, he gets the benefit of the doubt. Justin Bour‘s sprained ankle did far more damage than any of Mattingly’s questionable bullpen moves in the end.

Austyn Varney: B-. I think he did a great job giving the Marlins a manager with some sense of stability, which has been lost for a while. The Marlins did improve from 2 years ago, going from 71 to 79 wins. They were in the wild card race all year, but did fall off towards the end of the season. Nobody can be blamed for the tragedy that occurred and it obviously did hurt the team in a negative way. With that being said, he could of been a lot better in-game. From the batting order to bullpen management, he needs to improve. If he is able to do that this season, he should have a solidified job, even though the season might not be too successful.

David Marcillo: Don Mattingly’s grade, in my opinion, would need to be split into two parts. Before and after games? He gets an A-. He seems to have the respect of his players and also “has their backs” which is key to building team chemistry. During the game though? D-. Horrible bullpen decisions, awful pinch hitting/pinch running/defensive replacement moves, and just general cluelessness in terms of winning a baseball game.  

Kyle Rowley:  I would give Don Mattingly an A+. He seemed to change the culture of the Marlins and had them in contention much later than most expected. There’s only so much he can do when his stars like Stanton are underperforming or hurt. His bullpen handling was a huge improvement over past figures like Mike Redmond, and he has a certain aura that I feel players respect. He is the right man to bring the Marlins to success, assuming the front office can help him out a little.  

Joshua Alfonso: Successful, if for no other reason because it feels like the organization respects him and gives him the freedom to manage. Past issues with the Loria have been documented, including his fallout with Dan Jennings. The Jose Fernandez situation was a great test of leadership and he handled it as well as he could have.  

What player made the most improvement this season? 

Sean Millerick: Have to pick one? Excluding Fernandez, the players that just missed the All-Star game were all better than the ones that went. Yelich is the obvious call here, but I’m going to give some love to J.T. Realmuto here. The young Marlins backstop just had a .303 season, markedly better than the famed Buster Posey, and has very quietly put himself in the conversation for best offensive catcher in the game. He’ll likely never hit 20 HRs, but who cares when he crushes doubles and steals double digit bases?

Austyn Varney: Marcell Ozuna. You could go with a few guys here, but I think Ozuna made a huge leap from 2015 to 2016. If we look back to 2015, Ozuna hit 10 homers, drove in  44 runs and struck out almost 23% of the time. Last season, in only 100 more at-bats, he hit 23 homers, drove in 76 runs and struck out “only” 18.5% of the time. His defensive efficiency also went from -0.6 to 1.4, and it is always great to see improvement on the defensive side of the ball. At 26, Ozuna should be hitting his prime very soon and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him have a huge season this upcoming year.

David Marcillo: The biggest improvement this season came from reliever Kyle Barraclough. He was acquired by the Marlins as basically a non-prospect afterthought in the Steve Cishek trade. Barraclough killed it in 2016 though, posting a 2.85 ERA/2.11 FIP and striking out a ridiculous 14 batters per 9 innings. He did have some control issues (5.45 BB/9) but he seemed to rein it in a bit better towards the end of the season. He’ll be a huge part of the Marlins bullpen for several seasons. 

Kyle Rowley: I would say Christian Yelich made the most improvements, with Kyle Barraclough a close second. Yelich has always been a very good baseball player, but his power numbers went up, allowing for him to truly become a great player. His keen eye combined with his smooth swing allow for Yelich to consistently give great at-bats. Not to mention he continued his very solid defensive play. All-around, Yelich may be the best pure player on the team. As far as Barraclough, his k/9 rate was insane. If he can keep up his location, he has a chance to become an elite reliever. 

Joshua Alfonso: Yelich, he had a consistent season and could be a pillar of this franchise in a way that even Stanton may not ever achieve.

Thoughts On The Marlins Coaching Changes? 

Sean Millerick: If Mattingly wanted Bonds out, I’m willing to go with it. Hitting ticked up, but the runs never came. If Bonds was really as instrumental to the changes…can’t see him being pushed out. The relative lack of backlash the club took from the national media is also comforting…though that could just be because nobody likes him.  Was sad to see Reid Cornelius and Lenny Harris let go based on memories from their playing days, but never saw any evidence they were exceptional coaches either. Fredi brings a wealth of experience, and will only add to the professionalism of the clubhouse.

Austyn Varney: I am pretty excited to see how Mike Pagliarulo does in place of Bonds. In Pittsburgh, he was a big help in the progression of Gregory Polanco and Josh Harrison. They made a big jump forward in AA, which is where Pagliarulo was at. I look forward to seeing how going from a power-style Bonds to a contact driven Pagliarulo will affect the lineup. The addition of Fredi Gonzalez should be fun as well, though likely won’t make much of an impact on the field.

David Marcillo: None of the coaching changes are significant enough to make a significant difference in the on-field product. The reunion with Fredi Gonzalez is an interesting one though, given the published comments between him and team owner Jeffrey Loria.

Kyle Rowley: I’m fine with the coaching changes. It seems Stanton and Bonds didn’t mesh well, and I know Mattingly wasn’t a fan. I do not think, though, that the changes will make a huge difference for the team. It’s really up to the players performing and Mattingly running a smooth ship. Pretty ironic to have good ole’ Fredi Gonzalez back. I truly think he was an awful manager both here and in Atlanta, so the shift to 3rd base coach was a necessity for him.

Joshua Alfonso: It seems Barry Bonds was not as well liked outside of Jose Fernandez as we thought. It’s great that Mattingly stuck to his guns and refused to bring him back. It shows he is in charge of the baseball operations and not Loria. That said, the fact that another manager was so close to resigning is frustrating because it suggests that we are always one disagreement away from a new manager. Bringing back Fredi Gonzalez is a great move, familiar with the organization and a seasoned coach.

Next: Fish Net New Starter

That’s a wrap for this week. Again, if anything is on your mind baseball wise, find us on Facebook or Twitter and let us know. Just might see it discussed here.