3 Miami Marlins players that are facing an uncertain future
There are three Miami Marlins players who are facing uncertain futures. They're facing those futures because of a mix of different things, though the common denominator is of course poor performance. One player was going to be on the list, but he's turned his career around. Seemingly at least. Some offensively questionable players, earned more certain futures with their defense. Who has uncertain futures though?
Three Miami Marlins players who have uncertain futures with the team.
3. CF DEREK HILL
CF Derek Hill is pretty obvious and may not be an exciting choice. The CF is currently injured and it's unclear if his future is as a starter, a bench player or not even on the Miami Marlins at all. He's batted .227/.242/.409, with 4 home runs and 17 RBI in 25 games and 88 AB. It's not the most impressive batting line obviously, but he is a former first round pick (23'rd pick by the Detroit Tigers in 2014).
The 28 year old has a career .232/.273/.352 batting line with Detroit, the Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants, along with The Fish. It's unclear if he will ever live up to his Draft hype. It was a decade ago, so it's definitely not a surprise if he just will never be a star in the Major Leagues.
A decision on his future will probably be made in next year's Spring Training. He will have to have a big Spring or he could easily be released.
NEXT: A struggling pitcher.
2. SP MAX MEYER
I already wrote about him earlier, mentioning how Max Meyer made a bold promise to be a "dominant" pitcher in the future. It's hard to believe that now, as his last two seasons were pretty disappointing to say the least. He pitched to a 7.50 ERA/6.45 FIP, with 9.0 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 2 games and 6.0 innings pitched in 2022. That was a small sample size of course though.
After coming back from injury this season, he pitched to a 5.68 ERA/5.91 FIP, with 7.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 11 games and 57.0 innings pitched. His control is just slightly below average and that seems to stay consistent at the Major League level. It's possible that after more time passes, his strikeout rate might improve. He does still have his fastball velocity. It was 94.9 mph in 2022 and it was 94.2 mph this season.
I really hope that Max Meyer lives up to his former top prospect status. I don't see him getting a rotation spot with the Miami Marlins to start next season, so he'll have to wait for a trade or an injury to get some starts. If he doesn't pitch well, there's a chance that he will be seen as a "change of scenery" candidate.
NEXT: Another questionable starting pitcher...
1. SP EDWARD CABRERA
From Max Meyer to Edward Cabrera, the Miami Marlins have a great starting pitching mix for next season. Will Cabrera be in the rotation to start next season? Highly doubtful. Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez, Jesus Luzardo and Ryan Weathers are locks for the top four rotation spots. Braxton Garrett is the favorite for the fifth spot.
A setback to Eury Perez in his recovery from injury, or the same happening to Luzardo, can open up a spot for Cabrera. That said, he's been incredibly inconsistent throughout his young career. He has a career 4.26 ERA/4.80 FIP, with 10.0 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9. He had that tremendous run in 2022, when he had a 3.01 ERA, though with a 4.59 FIP in 14 games and 71.2 innings pitched that season.
He also has a 4.88 ERA/4.86 FIP, with 9.8 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9 in 17 games and 83.0 innings pitched this season. Cabrera's big issue is his control issues. He goes from horrible performances to ace ones, as we saw last weekend. He's so unpredictable that it's frustrating. He's still just 26 years old and is under arbitration control through the 2028 season. How long will it take before the Miami Marlins get tired of waiting for him to get things under control? Next season may be his final chance.