Miami Marlins: Surveying the new talent ahead of Saturday’s game

Will the new wealth of talent the Miami Marlins have on their roster prove to be enough to carry the team out of the National League East cellar?

Miami Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill continues to like what he has seen on the fields at Roger Dean Stadium so far as the full squad of players is now in Jupiter, Florida with Spring Training baseball on the horizon.

The mantra of there being plenty of talent on this roster has been pushed as the team’s new focal point heading toward the end of February and into March. But the truth is Hill and the Marlins front office have been on the mark in terms of making the right moves this offseason.

Nothing has been flashy, nothing has stood out as something over-the-time. Everything has been just right for this franchise, which we all hope translates to success at all levels of the Marlins organization.

"“You can see the present, but you can also see the future,” Hill said via MLB.com. “The biggest change is there’s just so much more talent. When you talk about building something sustainable, you want to have layers of talent. That’s something we’re most excited about.”"

Sustainability is what team majority owner Bruce Sherman preached when he talked to the media earlier week. This is a baseball club that has seen its worst days hopefully behind them, and a new step forward in the process of making a successful go of it toward a .500 season in a year or two.

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"“Offensively, we just want to stick with the message of getting after it and being aggressive and forcing the action,” Hill said, “and doing everything that we can to score runs.”"

When the Marlins take the field on Saturday in St. Lucie, Florida, it will be Jordan Yamamoto who gets the ball while he fights for a spot in the rotation with Robert Dugger and others. The best part of Spring may be the battle to fit into the rotation in the fourth and fifth spots on the staff.

Now that the Marlins will have a chance to play against other players besides their own teammates, the real evaluation begins as to who will fit on the roster. Manager Don Mattingly must decide who takes the 26th spot. Which relievers remain in South Florida. How will the outfield break down? Is Jonathan Villar the right fit in centerfield? Does Monte Harrison make his Major League dream come true?

Most important to all these questions that must be answered, can Miami show significant progress? Will the bullpen revive the pitching staff? How does a new closer in Brandon Knitzler fit into the future?

These aren’t problems that Hill and the Marlins face. They are solutions to a better future.

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