Marlin Maniac RTD 2/14: Marlins Spring Training, WBC

Morning Marlin Maniacs. Love is truly in the air, as the most magical time of year is upon us. Baseball is back, as pitchers and catchers officially report for the Miami Marlins this morning in Jupiter, Florida.

In all seriousness though, many readers may understandably be focusing a little less on baseball today- not really a better way I can think of to ensure you burn your significant non sports loving other out on baseball earlier than you’d like than spending Valentine’s Day reading about practice.

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• Miami Marlins rejected Boston‘s trade offer
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• Miami Marlins need to spend to win

But if we all had that kind of foresight, there would be considerably less magic to the gift that is baseball’s Spring Training. Thirty teams have a chance this morning after all, which means twenty-nine fanbases out there couldn’t be more wrong. Today is for the dreamers though, and with that, lets get to the business of Marlins baseball.

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 Marlins Player Are You Most Looking Forward To Following This Spring? 

Sean Millerick: Whoever steps up that isn’t supposed to. Giancarlo Stanton hitting 10 HRs this spring would be exciting for sure, but you expect Stanton to punish some baseballs. For the 2017 Marlins to succeed, they don’t just need the big fella to do what he has done before. They need someone to do something they haven’t done. Justin Bour or Adeiny Hechavarria hitting for a high average, Dan Straily or Edinson Volquez demonstrating phenomenal control and breaking camp with a sub 3.00 ERA, any of the above would apply. If forced to be specific, give me Bour, but anyone who dazzles right out of the preseason gate will have my attention.

David Marcillo: Kyle Barraclough. He is so unbelievably good when he throws strikes, and he had stretches last season where his control looked to be improving, only to go back to being spotty at best soon after. Already an excellent bullpen arm, Barraclough could take the step into elite territory if he could just limit his walks a little bit more.

Seth Moed: Adam Conley is the player I’m most looking forward to following this Spring. The organization and fans know what potential he has but he has failed to show consistency. After a full season under his belt with a few gems, I’d love to see him string together a few consecutive solid outings this Spring.

Kyle Rowley: I would say I am looking most forward to Derek Dietrich. For years, I’ve felt he is very underutilized by the Marlins organization. I want to see if he forces himself into some playing time from an impressive spring training or slumps and continues his irrelevance in the starting lineup.

Do You Care About The World Baseball Classic? 

Sean Millerick: Yes, but not because I’m remotely excited about it. This is a lot of baseball, and a lot of deviation from the regular routine. While the Marlins are already a pretty tight-knit group, I’m not thrilled seven players expected to make the roster will be in and out of camp. And while you can make an argument that the competitiveness of the Classic will tighten up the focus of participants, you can also make the argument it increases risk of injury. Let the nonprofessional ranks, or even the recently drafted, play in this. Leave the big leaguers out.

David Marcillo: I want to care about it, and I think I kind of do, but it’s still a lot like baseball in the Olympics: until the actual best players from around the world are playing, it will never be as interesting as it could be.

Seth Moed: I’m actually looking forward to the World Baseball Classic this year. In general, I like seeing professional players in any sport represent their countries despite not being the biggest Olympics fan. Also, watching this past fall’s World Hockey Classic have success gives me hope for the baseball version.

Kyle Rowley: Honestly, not really. I love that the sport has grown across the world and enjoy the competition, but it is nothing on the MLB. I’d prefer to scout young players in a spring training game than watch the World Baseball Classic.

So, If Rumors Are True, Reactions To The News The Marlins Might Be About To Be Sold? 

Sean Millerick: Happy as a clam, light as a feather, footloose and fancy free, giddy as a…alright, enough said. Wrote about this extensively last week, but it would be difficult for it not to be a positive development. If someone is going to pay that much, then they can handle the MLB average payroll year in and year out.

David Marcillo: Marlins fans have been waiting for years to hear that Jeffrey Loria was ready to sell the Marlins. Without getting too political, if recent rumors are proven true, things could get a whole lot worse before they get better.

Seth Moed: I’m very excited about the Marlins finally being sold. It would be very difficult to find a worse owner so this should only be upgrade. Hopefully this franchise will never see another fire sale again.

Kyle Rowley:  As any Marins fan should be, ecstatic. It is time Jeffrey Loria is out of baseball. This will hopefully start the process of removing the negative stigma associated with the Marlins and fire-sales. It could reinvigorate a fan base, and that is exciting.

Looking Ahead, Any Particular Series Or Matchup Circled On Your Calendar? 

Sean Millerick: Every last game against the Braves. Either that cursed team, or some inexplicable mental block on the part of the Marlins themselves, destroyed last season. Flip that 7-11 record the Fish put up against the worst team in baseball around, and we’re talking a winning season. Throw in the fact that the Braves arguably did more to improve their 2016 version than any other team in the East, and there’s real cause for concern. Keeping the Braves from breaking out a year or two early is priority one for Miami. On a more personal note though, the first Mariners game, cause I have tickets.

David Marcillo: The series in Los Angeles is always circled on my calendar, because it’s my chance to see the Fish in person. It’s a mid-May 4-game series this year, so I’m excited to see almost all of the Marlins rotation.

Seth Moed: Marlins play the Cubs for the first time in early June soon before the All-Star break. This will be a couple months into the season and give us a chance to see how they match up against the defending champs at a critical point in the season.

Kyle Rowley: The first series in Atlanta should be fun. The new stadium will be very cool to see since the Fish travel their three times a year. Going to San Francisco is always one of my favorite series of the year, as well.