Marlin Maniac RTD 1/30: Marlins Free Agents, Hall of Famers

Morning Marlin Maniacs, trust your Monday isn’t too troubling. As the season drifts ever closer, time to kick start the water-cooler talk of all things Marlins baseball. That brings the return of the RTD, or Round Table Discussion, to our interwebs pages.

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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.

Which Free Agent Deal Are You Most Excited About? 

Sean Millerick: I’ll go for the creative answer and say A.J. Ellis. Between his track record working with pitchers, and what his presence seems to mean for J.T. Realmuto’s usage at multiple positions, I’m excited to see how that plays out. Mathis grew on me last year, but it’s hard to not see it as a major upgrade.  

David Marcillo: The Brad Ziegler deal excites me the most. I think his presence in the back of the bullpen might help settle down some of the wild arms out there. As talented as Ramos and Barraclough are, imagine if they could cut their walks down. Ziegler is an experienced, poised reliever who might be able to teach a lot to our younger guys when he’s not picking up holds on the mound. 

Joshua Alfonso: Nothing overly exciting; really it’s more exciting that they didn’t overspend on a closer. Edinson Volquez should be serviceable although the Marlins would be wise to set the expectations at a fair level. He is a middle of the rotation veteran pitcher and not an ace.

Kyle Rowley: I am most excited about the Edison Volquez deal. I think he is very capable of returning to his 2014 and 2015 form. The deep outfield of Marlins Park will definitely benefit his pitching style. He is a huge cog in the importance of the pitching rotation.

Eric Quinones: I’m excited about the two key additions of Ziegler and Tazawa to bolster the bullpen. They will join a pen that has Phelps, Barraclough and Ramos, which was a pretty successful trio last season. Those additions will only allow the Fish to shorten games against the opponents. It could potentially be one of the best bullpens in baseball.  

Which Returning Player Do You Expect The Best Season From? 

Sean Millerick: Adam Conley. I expect any doubts about who the true ace of the staff is to be settled by the end of April, and for Conley to take up the mantle and run with it. He’ll lead the team in every pitching category, and we’ll be happy for it.

David Marcillo: I want to say I expect the best season from Giancarlo Stanton, but I’ve been burned before, so I’ll say the more consistent Marlins outfielder, Christian Yelich. I think he takes another step forward this year and, if he plays 150+ games, can be a 5 WAR player.  

Joshua Alfonso: Stanton, and this has nothing to do with his salary. He is by far the most electric player for the Marlins and a true game changer. I hope we see a .305/45/125 line from him this year

Kyle Rowley: I would say Christian Yelich. Sure, Stanton has a higher ceiling, but I don’t trust him to stay on the field regularly. Yelich should provide his usual impressive defense and average, but with his improving power, he is primed to breakout even more.

Eric Quinones: I expect Giancarlo Stanton to have the best season this year. If the Marlins want to finally make the playoffs it is important for Stanton to be healthy all season long and to produce at an MVP caliber level. We all know Yelich is a rising superstar but Stanton is the man on this team. He needs to play like it and show the MLB world what he can do when he plays a full season. The team can’t go another season with Stanton being hurt. He means way too much to the Fish to not be on the field and batting fourth. I’m predicting Stanton will have a monster season. 

Thoughts On Pudge Getting Into The Hall Of Fame? 

Sean Millerick: Ecstatic. Obviously, the lion’s share of what got him there happened as a Ranger. But he was good as a Marlin, and that’s a first for players inducted into the Hall in not only my lifetime, but that of the franchise.  Plus, he was just such a huge part of that second championship…how can you not be thrilled as a Marlins fan?

David Marcillo: Pudge getting into the Hall of Fame was great. He had an excellent career and deserved the recognition. He only played 144 of his 2543 games in a Marlins uniform though, so it’s not much of a *Marlins* thing, aside from good memories of 1997. But that season had little to do with Pudge’s induction. 

Joshua Alfonso: Clearly deserving, he will forever have his best moment in a Marlins uniform despite spending only one season here. JT Snow is still waiting for that ball to leave Pudge’s hand.

Kyle Rowley: He is definitely deserving. What he did in 2003 for this franchise was paramount. Winning an MVP as a catcher is a very rare feat, which he did in 1999. His all-time best caught stealing percentage of 45.6% is also a huge factor.

Eric Quinones: Pudge getting into the Hall Of Fame is a no brainer. His resume speaks for itself. He was a superstar in the MLB. Marlins’ fans saw firsthand in 2003 how he performed when the lights shined brightest in the World Series. He was a huge reason why the Fish became world champions in 2003. He’s one of the top 5 catchers in the history of baseball. He’s in the conversation for the best defensive catcher in the history of baseball and his 13 gold gloves prove it. He was well deserving of being a first ballot Hall Of Famer. 

Dare To Predict The First Player To Make The Hall Of Fame As A Marlin? 

Sean Millerick: Cabrera, provided Loria sells the team this summer after showcasing it with the All-Star Game, someone with deep pockets buys the team, and then flips a nice package of talent to a rebuilding Detroit team looking to shed salary. Barring that, Christian Yelich. Length and value of the contract could actually keep him here the full seven years. I think that would do it.

David Marcillo: This is impossible, but I’ll take a shot: Christian Yelich.  

Joshua Alfonso: As prodigious a homerun hitter as Stanton is, at this point I don’t think he is projecting to have a HOF career. How about we say, hasn’t played for the Marlins yet.

Kyle Rowley: It should have been Miguel Cabrera, but that trade….As of now the Marlins don’t really have an obvious option, so I will take Stanton as a longshot. If he can stay healthy, his power numbers give him a chance.

Eric Quinones: If Sheffield isn’t inducted into the Hall Of Fame as a Marlin, the next best bet would be Christian Yelich. Yelich has been proven in his young career to hit, and hit, and just hit some more. If he stays healthy throughout his career and continues to grow into a superstar, he may have a shot at 3000 hits and multiple All Star Game selections. Oh yeah, and let me not forget that Ichiro is a first ballot Hall Of Famer, but he will most likely be inducted as a Seattle Mariner. 

Next: Straily Move Logical?

That’s all the Round Table Discussion for this week folks. Tune in next Monday for the first real baseball articles of 2017- the ones after the Super Bowl.