3 questions to be answered during last week of Marlins spring training

Jupiter, Fla.—With 10 days left in camp, the Miami Marlins are close to figuring out their 26-man roster. Here are some of the most pressing questions regarding roster construction.

Who will be the fourth outfielder?

The Marlins came into spring training lacking established, everyday outfielders, but they had a deep group of candidates with little left to prove in the minor leagues. Veteran Jesús Sánchez was seemingly the only lock to make the roster. Instead, he'll be missing at least the first two weeks of the regular season with a strained oblique.

Right-handed hitters with center field experience, Dane Myers and Derek Hill were very likely to make the roster even before Sánchez was injured. Griffin Conine and Kyle Stowers can now both fit comfortably in the corner spots.

But when Sánchez comes back, who will be the odd man out? The remainder of camp will help establish the pecking order.

Both Conine and Stowers are left-handed hitters with good raw power, just like Sánchez. Stowers, who came over from the Baltimore Orioles last July in exchange for Trevor Rogers, has played sparingly in the majors the past three seasons. Conine, who has been in the Marlins organization since 2020, made his MLB debut last September. Power is not a question for either of them, however, they both struggle with swing-and-miss, each recording strikeout rates north of 30 percent last season.

In 12 Grapefruit League games, Conine has slashed .286/.375/.371 with one home run, and has brought his strikeout rate down to 20%. Stowers has slashed .167/.394/.167 in 10 games and is striking out at a 36.4% clip.

“We’re feeling really good about where Derek Hill is right now, and the at-bat quality he's shown, certainly the ability to play center,” McCullough said on Saturday. “Dane Myers has had a good camp in that regard as well. Griff, Stowers, we still have plenty of options, and it just opens up some opportunity for others to take on some more regular playing time.”

How do the infield pieces fit together?

On Sunday morning. Graham Pauley, who came over from the San Diego Padres last year for Tanner Scott and Bryan Hoeing, was optioned to Triple-A. The 24-year-old third baseman slashed .269/.345/.308 in 29 plate appearances this spring.

With Pauley out of the mix, Matt Mervis, Eric Wagaman, and Javier Sanoja are left fighting for part-time roles behind the default starting infield of Connor Norby, Xavier Edwards, Otto Lopez, and Jonah Bride.

Wagaman is just 6-for-31 this spring with two home runs, but his ability to play first and third, along with his cup of coffee in the majors last year, could help his odds.

“I think (Wagaman’s) swing is in a really good place now, taking really good at-bats,” McCullough said. “I think he’s had a really solid camp.”

Sanoja is 6-for-24 with two doubles and two walks this spring. He went 8-for-35 as a September call-up last year and only struck out twice. What separates him from anyone else on this roster is he can play practically anywhere defensively. In four seasons in the minors, he started 134 games in the outfield and he logged at least 500 innings at second base, shortstop, and third base. He also made two starts in left field last year when he was to the major leagues with the Marlins.

“The versatility is great,” McCullough said about Sanoja’s defense. “But I think watching him throughout camp, I think about his offensive identity and how he looks like he's embracing that. He's really gotten into at-bats. He's got a superpower being able to move the ball forward. His contact skill is elite…His at-bats have matured for me as camp has gone on.”

Mervis, who was traded from the Chicago Cubs for Vidal Bruján, has showcased the power that was advertised on his scouting report. The 26-year-old leads the team with three home runs and is slashing .313/.333/.656. The main drawback for Mervis is he almost exclusively plays first base, which goes against what the Marlins have been preaching about positional versatility this spring.
 

What will the rotation look like?

Sandy Alcantara is the Opening Day starter. That much is clear. After that, in no particular order, the Marlins will trot out Ryan Weathers, Max Meyer, and Cal Quantrill.

Edward Cabrera would be a lock for the rotation if he had a normal spring progression, but he was removed from his last start on Thursday with blister issues. He resumed throwing on Monday. The problem is, he has yet to stretch out beyond two innings in any spring appearance.

If Cabrera's regular season debut is delayed while he continues to ramp up, the Marlins can call upon another arm from their 40-man roster such as Connor Gillispie, Valente Bellozo, and Adam Mazur. Because of his established workload in the majors last year, Bellozo has a solid case, but he's had uneven results this spring, while Gillispie has been close to flawless.

For what it's worth, Gillispie is Miami's probable starter for Tuesday.