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Miami Marlins: Making adjustments to time away from the game

By David Levin|
JUPITER, FLORIDA - MARCH 12: A general view of the field being watered after the spring training game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on March 12, 2020 in Jupiter, Florida. Major League Baseball is suspending Spring Training and delaying the start of the regular season by at least two weeks due to the ongoing threat of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
JUPITER, FLORIDA - MARCH 12: A general view of the field being watered after the spring training game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on March 12, 2020 in Jupiter, Florida. Major League Baseball is suspending Spring Training and delaying the start of the regular season by at least two weeks due to the ongoing threat of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)

Can the Miami Marlins do what is necessary to adapt to a shorter baseball season once teams are cleared to play?

As the state of Major League Baseball is still in a holding pattern because of COVID-19, the Miami Marlins must sit and wait their turn to get back on the diamond once again.

How will a wait like this affect the team mentally, after a fast start in Spring Training, only to be stopped on a dime because of health and safety reasons? Will this team, comprised of youth and partial experience, be able to jump back into the same success this franchise enjoyed a couple of weeks ago?

The Marlins will need to count on veterans once again to lead the way. More importantly, manager Don Mattingly and his coaching staff will need to use the communication they have had with players off the field to build more continuity for the team’s eventual return.

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There is still no word yet when the work stoppage may be over and players can return to Jupiter, Florida at the Marlins training facility. I’ve wondered out loud, talking with some of my colleagues and friends who are fans, if this will affect how managers across the game set up their rosters.
Will this mean if the season is cut short and teams start to show they will not remain competitive, do they use more prospects to prepare for the future?

If so and the Marlins are in that category, things could get interesting pretty quickly.

Look for the franchise to count on Miguel Rojas, even more, to help younger players adjust to the changes of the season. And with the pitching staff, does the bullpen get more work in the hot summer months? In this type of situation, having someone like Martin Prado on the bench would pay off handsomely.

It will be interesting to see if Brian Anderson becomes a voice in the clubhouse. And how will someone like Jonathan Villar make an impact in the dugout?

This is unchartered territory for everyone included. Being a younger team, the adjustment might be more difficult and take longer to get over the learning curve.

There has been some talk of baseball games being played at the start of the season in empty stadiums and limited staff being allowed to travel with teams. While it may solve some of the potential health risks it will also eliminate the fans at games. As one of those fans, I hope it does not come to that.

I was talking to one of my close friends about how much things have changed in the past two weeks. He said right now he would take any kind of baseball as long as it was on television. That might be the growing sentiment of other fans just wanting to watch the sport they love.

For me, I hope the Marlins comeback as a functioning team that catches lightning in a bottle and shocks the world. But for now, just seeing movement on a diamond and some idea of when the season will start if enough for me to get just a little bit excited.

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