Miami Marlins Season Preview: The Bench

In the last week of Spring Training, Marlin Maniac has previewed Miami’s starting rotation, the starting lineup, and the bullpen. We’re going to take a look at prospects tomorrow, and the management on Tuesday. Today, Miami’s bench makes an appearance. The players profiled here are based on the Marlins depth chart, as per MLB.COM’s Marlins page.

The Bench

Martin Prado

Martin Prado is a 6’1″, 170 lb. third baseman from Venezuela. A veteran of the Braves, the Diamondbacks, and the Yankees, the 13-year veteran is entering his fourth Marlin season.

Prado has appeared in 1,300 major league games, by far the most on the Marlins. He’s slashed .291/.340/.422, with 97 home runs and 576 RBI. His career 1.66 K/BB rate indicates his patience at the plate.

Now 34-years-old, Prado missed all but 39 games last season, and looks to open this campaign on the DL. Once he returns, he could resume starting for the Marlins at the hot corner. A strong showing from Brian Anderson, however, could mean reduced playing time.

Prado doesn’t have a lot of power, and he doesn’t have a lot of speed. He can be counted on to supply a near-.300 average and solid defense at third base (career .969 fielding percentage). Steamer projections have him slashing .274/.326/.399 in 82 appearances for the Marlins.

Prado can also be used in a pinch at first base and at either corner outfield position. He’s also played second base and shortstop in his career, but his reduced mobility may prove prohibitive.

J.T. Riddle

J.T. Riddle is a 6’1″, 180 lb. shortstop from Kentucky. A 2013 13th round pick of the Marlins, he made his major league debut last season for the Marlins. He’s 26-year-old this year.

Riddle slashed .250/.282/.355 for the Marlins as a rookie. He hit three home runs with 31 RBI in 70 contests. Defensively, Riddle handled 266 chances, and made eight errors for a .970 fielding percentage.

Riddle will likely start the season on the DL, which is getting longer every day. In the meantime, Miguel Rojas will get the majority of the reps at shortstop. Upon Riddle’s return, he should inherit the lion’s share of starts at the six.

Steamer predictions have Riddle playing in 82 games and slashing .258/.297/.362.

Tomas Telis

Tomas Telis is a 5’8″, 175 lb. catcher from Venezuela. The 26-year-old has played parts of four seasons in the majors, first with the Rangers then with Miami. He joined the Marlins via the Sam Dyson trade in 2015.

Telis has hit .233/.268/.305 in 99 major league contests. He has one career homer (see below) and 23 RBI. Telis has no patience at the plate, drawing five walks and striking out 26 times in 236 plate appearances.

Defensively, Telis has a .984 career fielding percentage and has thrown out two-of-27 base stealers. Last season, he played a lot more at first base than he did at the catcher position. He appeared 28 times at first and only six times behind the plate.

Telis will meet his Steamer projections if he appears in 65 games and slashes .264/.306/.370.

Moises Sierra

Moises Sierra isn’t the M Sierra that Marlins’ fans were expecting to make the opening day roster. A pulled hamstring was the great equalizer in this situation, but more on the younger Sierra tomorrow.

Moises is 29-years-old, and has made major league appearances with the Blue Jays and the White Sox. He’s been part of Miami’s organization for two full seasons already, but hasn’t appeared on any major league roster since 2014.

Sierra is a 6’1″, 185 lb. right fielder from the Dominican Republic. He owns a .243/.296/.383 major league slashline in 180 games. Steamer doesn’t expect Sierra to do anything with the Marlins this season.

Defensively, Sierra can play any of the three outfield positions (not all at the same time, that would be another article). He has a .982 fielding percentage, with five errors in 222 chances.

Chad Wallach

Chad Wallach is a 6’3″, 210 lb. backstop from California. A legacy major leaguer, his father is Marlins bench coach Tim Wallach.

Wallach, now 26, was Miami’s fifth-round pick back in 2013. He was traded from Miami with Anthony Desclafani to the Reds for Mat Latos in 2015. In November 2017, the Marlins claimed him back from Cincinnati via waivers.

Wallach will probably strike out more than Miami would like, but he’s got some power. He should gun down a decent amount of base stealers if given a decent amount of playing time. He has thrown out 90-of-316 through his minor league career (around 29%).

Wallach has gone one-for-11 at the major league level, but with J.T. Realmuto on the DL for an indeterminate time, he could get a few more reps in the next month.

Thank you for reading today’s preview. Check back tomorrow as we get a look at Miami’s up-and-coming prospects. In the meantime, like us on FaceBook, follow us on Twitter, and check back here for all the latest Marlin news.