Marlins to keep Trey Hillman and Mel Stottlemyre Jr. on staff

The Marlins retain part of their coaching staff for the 2020 season. There are still positions to fill by Don Mattingly and the front office.

Per sources and MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro, the Marlins will retain pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. and first base/infield coach Trey Hillman for the 2020 MLB season. The news is tempered with the announcement that Fredi Gonzalez will not return as the team’s third-base coach to pursue other options.

The moves made by the organization will continue to bring continuity to the 25 man roster for next season as the front office hopes this will be the year the ball club makes a move out of the National League East cellar.

There has been speculation prior to the end of the 2019 season the front office and manager Don Mattingly may make moves to change his staff. The team had announced that Tim Wallach, Miami’s bench coach, would not return next season so he could be closer to his family in California. Wallach and manager Mattingly have a close relationship that dates back to their time together with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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"“Fredi Gonzalez, the third-base coach the previous three years, expressed to the club earlier this week that he wanted to pursue other options,” Frisaro writes. “The 55-year-old also worked with the outfielders. Before his decision to move on, he had been in discussions with the club about returning, perhaps in a different role, like working with the catchers.“All of Mattingly’s 2019 staff were on one-year contracts, which expired at the end of the season. Catching coach Brian Schneider and bullpen coach Dean Treanor also will not be back.”"

There is no word yet as to who will replace him on the bench, but there has been some discussion  Hillman might be the right person to move into that slot. The Marlins must still replace two coaches on staff and may seek help from within the organization before looking elsewhere.

The Marlins must continue to build the organization through speed and defense. The team finished last in home runs last year and near the bottom of the majors in every offensive category. Michael Hill stated prior to the end of the season to the team would look to add more power to its lineup, but they weren’t necessarily Going to spend an exorbitant amount of money to do so.

The focus for the front office and the organization is to continue to build through the minor league system and add pieces to the puzzle in free agency and the MLB Draft. Stottlemyre will remain a key part of the development of the young pitching staff and will help with the hiring of a new bullpen coach.

Not all was lost on the staff and rotation that could be a surprise in 2020. The Marlins finished 20th in the Majors in ERA (4.74), with their starters ranking 16th at 4.59. The staff needs to improve its walks per nine innings as the starters averaged 3.50 BB/9, which was 29th in the Majors.

Another area of concern is defense where the Marlins were 17th in the Majors with 94 errors on the season.