Who Was the Miami Marlins Worst Pitcher in 2019?

Adam Conley (-1.1)

Once upon a time, Adam Conley was a promising young starter for the Miami Marlins. Then, in 2017, the wheels came off, and he finished the year with a 6.14 ERA.

Repurposed as a reliever in 2018, Conley’s results were encouraging. A WHIP of 1.086 along with 50 K’s in 50 2/3 innings had many thinking this could be the Miami Marlins closer of the future.

Unfortunately, for the second time since joining the Miami Marlins, Conley turned in a haphazard pitching line over a full season. A 1.731 WHIP, a 2-11 record, and a 6.53 ERA point to a former starter who will probably not have a place on the 2020 version of the team.

Wei-Yin Chen (-1.1)

Wei-Yin Chen was guilty of the same WAR rating as was Conley, but cost 16x as much.

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By far the Miami Marlins best-paid player, Chen’s utility was the worst of any pitcher on the team – and they still have to pay him $22 million next season. He’ll be going into the fifth year of a five-year, $80 million deal next year, and the Marlins seem hell-bent on getting their money’s worth.

In 2019, Chen racked up a 6.59 ERA and a 1.537 WHIP, and at no point resembled a major-league talent.

But what do you do with a guy who is not any good at starting, isn’t good enough to close in any-leverage situations, and is only passable enough to burn innings in blowout losses? A good team doesn’t have room for a pitcher of Chen’s current pedigree, and the Miami Marlins will not be a good team until they trim the chaff from the roster.

Thanks for reading. Tune in next time for more of the Marlins best, and worst.