Miami Marlins: The decision to stick to the game plan in the Draft

The Miami Marlins made the right decision to draft as many arms as they could on Wednesday and Thursday night to help continue to build a foundation.

With the Miami Marlins making the decision to select six pitchers during the MLB Draft on Wednesday and Thursday evening, there may be questions why the team made such a bold move.

Analysts are going to scrutinize this organization for not paying attention to other areas of need while D.J. Svihlik and the Marlins front office identified a need, scouted talent, and made sure they got young arms as they had planned all along.

This draft class as I stated before in my last story, it’s different because of the lack of draft picks and how teams were not able to see high school and college players during the spring semester.

If anything, I think this is a move that shows Miami’s attention to sticking to a game plan.

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Team CEO Derek Jeter, upon taking over the day-to-day operations of the organization in 2018, made it a point to seek out young, strong pitchers to create a foundation for the minor league system. Although Marlins did not select a pitcher until the fifth round of both the 2018 and 2019 draft classes, it doesn’t mean the team isn’t zeroed in on its greatest need.

Young arms develop at a different rate. Players may need more time in the minor-league system to work on mechanics and control.

What the Miami Marlins did do, was stick to a script that was determined last year with the draft. They identified older players, with more maturity on the mound, to set the tone for the team’s future. Max Meyer, who is taking third overall out of Minnesota, should be Miami’s top-ranked prospect when the new MLB Pipeline rankings are shuffled. It also means players who are in the minors will face a little more competition next season.

And for those of you who are betting on change again, adding more arms to an already stacked farm system means Jeter and president of baseball operations Michael Hill have a few more options when it comes to trading for major-league depth in the future.

“You see it at the Winter Meetings, [pitching] is very difficult [to find and acquire],” Svihlik said via MLB.com. “They’re just targets of trades. They are very, very valuable.”

That value will be tested as the Marlins will face tough decisions in the next few seasons. Which players stay in the organization and which of them may be sent elsewhere?

The front office pulled off a deal at the MLB Trade Deadline last season to send pitcher Zac Gallen to the Arizona Diamondbacks for shortstop Jazz Chisholm. Deals like that don’t always happen. And if the Marlins fall behind early in an abbreviated season, will Jeter or Hill look to trade prospects to help a questionable lineup?

At least the trade chips are there.

There should be many new faces on the team’s Opening Day roster in 2021. It could also mean manager Don Mattingly will once again face the task of working with a young lineup. That should include pitching.

The Marlins blueprint isn’t complete. Jeter and the front office took another step forward. I believe it was the right move. You can never have too many solid starting pitchers. The team’s front office is proving that with every move it makes this offseason and now by adding more young talent to an already steady core of young arms.