Ely Sussman

Player status updates, insightful stats and more information to fully equip you for today's Marlins game. Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal SuperSubs... View full article

Homage reissued the iconic MLB Starter satin jacket in an exclusive limited-edition release on Monday morning. Hope you got one while you had the chance! 10:50 a.m. ET update: Wow! The Marlins jacket is temporarily out of stock in all sizes. The original version of this article is shown below. It was deflating to find out that the Miami Marlins have squeezed the teal throwbacks out of their 2024 uniform mix. Homage has come through with a much-needed pick-me-up by offering teal Florida Marlins satin jackets through a collaboration with Starter. This throwback has all the classic details of the original: full-snap buttons, slip pockets, and an interior patch that reads "LET'S GO FISH." The jacket is priced at $165 and available in sizes S-XXL. Get yours here while supplies last. Homage has jackets for the other 29 MLB teams as well. *Full disclosure: Fish On First will receive a commission for purchases made through the links above. View full article

Marlins news roundup for 2/26/24 Fish On First will have boots on the ground for today's Marlins spring training game. Follow Kevin Barral and Noah Berger for live updates from Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium and check out our staff's 2024 Spring Training Journal (new entries every day). 🔹 On Sunday, Jesús Luzardo looked sharp in two perfect innings. Troy Johnston went 3-for-3 off the bench. Calvin Faucher had a forgettable spring debut (0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K). The Nationals won, 6-3. 🔹 Anthony Bender contributed a scoreless inning, his first pitching appearance in any game environment since blowing out his elbow in 2022. Kevin Barral got his reaction in the clubhouse afterwards. 🔹 I looked at the similarities between Luzardo and Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller, who agreed to an extension last week. It'd probably take even more to extend Luzardo. 🔹 Sean McCormack analyzes the pitch mix of George Soriano and sees breakout potential in him, especially if he "figures out his fastball." You're invited to start your own conversation in our forums just like Sean did! 🔹 Elsewhere around baseball, Cody Bellinger (3/$80M) re-signed with the Cubs. He'll be teammates with Garrett Cooper, who's joining the Cubs on a minor league deal. Disappointing contracts for both of them considering what they must've been anticipating at the onset of free agency. 🔹 Today's game: Marlins (RHP Eury Pérez) vs. Cardinals (RHP Sem Robberse) at 1:10 p.m. No television coverage. 🔹 In an effort to flush his past two disappointing seasons, Avisaíl García spent his offseason hitting with Luis Arraez, reports Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. He has also tweaked his batting stance to take pressure off his back. 🔹 Long before they were teammates in the majors, Jake Burger reflects on how Tim Anderson's support helped him cope with his early-career injury setbacks, as detailed in Christina De Nicola's Marlins Beat newsletter. 🔹 Dusty Baker and Doug Glanville reflect on how Dontrelle Willis left his indelible mark on baseball during his Marlins glory days (via Jason Jones of The Athletic). View full article

How do you feel about the direction of the Miami Marlins franchise? Every month, I'll be polling our audience to find out how you’re reacting to transactions, news, rumors and game results. Since conducting the inaugural Fish On First fan confidence poll last month, the Marlins have done some stuff! There's been the Tim Anderson signing, swapping Steven Okert for Nick Gordon, and various minor league signings and moves along the fringes of the 40-man roster. Grapefruit League play has also begun. Taking these factors into consideration (and whatever else is important to you), let us know your current confidence level...

Holding onto Scott entering the year would seemingly be about showing the players and fans that they're making a good-faith effort to be competitive, because I agree that there's a strong case for moving him now. His value can't possibly go any higher during the season given his pending FA status and understandably, multi-year deals for premium relievers is not part of the plan.

Player status updates, insightful stats and more information to fully equip you for today's Marlins game. Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal SuperSubs... View full article

Luzardo has a lot in common with the newly extended Pirates right-hander, including a desire to remain with his current team long term...if the money is right. The Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the only MLB teams that's poised to spend even less on their 2024 payroll than the Miami Marlins. Even so, they gave their fanbase a reason to cheer earlier this week by finalizing a five-year, $77M deal with Mitch Keller. The All-Star right-hander joins Bryan Reynolds and Ke'Bryan Hayes as Bucs players who are under long-term contracts, and there are reinforcements coming soon from Pittsburgh's above-average farm system. The future is bright for a franchise that has suffered through some lean years. The Marlins have yet to make a comparable splash as the 2023-24 offseason winds down. They've made a series of efficient, incremental upgrades that gives them a path to return to the playoffs if their starting rotation is reasonably durable and several of their hitters rebound from lousy years. However, the only players with guaranteed deals beyond the 2024 campaign are Sandy Alcantara and Avisaíl García. Even manager Skip Schumaker, who is largely credited with revamping the "culture" in Miami for the better, isn't assured of sticking around past this season. Jesús Luzardo is the Marlins' closest equivalent to Keller. He could've been selected as an All-Star himself in 2023 had he not been on a contending team with other very deserving candidates. Since Peter Bendix arrived as president of baseball operations, there have been persistent rumors about the Fish discussing Luzardo in trade talks rather than attempting to extend him. That's despite the 26-year-old lefty publicly insisting he wants to stay put. Let's imagine that the Marlins made Luzardo the same offer that Keller accepted, adding four years and $71.6M of new money to his current contract. Would he take it? Similar career paths Keller and Luzardo were considered to be among the elite prep pitchers in their MLB Draft classes of 2014 and 2016, respectively. They each received seven-figure bonuses as teenagers to embark on their professional careers. While ascending the minor league ladder, both generated tremendous hype, ranking as consensus top-50 prospects prior to debuting in the big leagues. Keller's initial call-up came in May 2019, while Luzardo's came in September of that season. Development isn't always linear, though. In near-identical sample sizes from 2019-2021, Keller and Luzardo had bad results. Luzardo's stock had fallen enough that the Oakland Athletics were willing to trade him to the Marlins in exchange for free-agent-to-be Starling Marte. Both talented arms turned a corner in 2022, then established themselves as reliable starters in 2023. Through the All-Star break, they put up comparable numbers across the board that you'd associate with a typical No. 2 guy in a major league rotation. The second halves of their seasons were less consistent, but they stayed healthy, missed plenty of bats and overall performed in a way that seems sustainable moving forward. Reasons why Luzardo should take a $77M extension if offered: That's "set for life" type of money! As a resident of Florida (no state income tax), he would keep a higher percentage of it for himself than other athletes in the same contractual situation. He'd get to continue playing for the team he grew up rooting for and living close to his immediate family. The extension would take him through age 31, at which point he should be able to secure another lucrative deal in free agency. He has already undergone Tommy John surgery once and missed time due to other injuries, so this provides security in the unfortunate event of a career-altering setback that prevents him from reaching his full potential. Reasons why Luzardo should get even more: All things being equal, teams value left-handers more than right-handers because there's a smaller supply of them. In terms of run prevention and limiting baserunners, he has been slightly but inarguably better than Keller on a per-inning basis. He's currently on track to enter free agency as a 29-year-old, about six months younger than Keller would have been. Although the Marlins' club control over Luzardo runs through the 2026 season, it feels like the window is closing soon for them to extend him at a cheap enough rate to fit within Bruce Sherman's perpetually tight budget. How much do you think it would take to get a deal done? View full article

In the next projection update, I will differentiate between "locks" and players who are "on the bubble" because I agree that the RPs you mentioned could go either way. They wouldn't hesitate to send down Bender if there is clear rust, and Bendix has already been involved in trading away Chargois once before. He might do it again if he determines that there are 8 RPs in camp superior to him.

He has an opportunity to earn a spot! But the odds are against him making it as a starter right away because Cabrera has no minor league options and Rogers appears to be fully healthy and has the edge in MLB experience. They are clearly ahead of him on the depth chart. Meyer was a reliever occasionally during his college career, but hasn't done it at all since being drafted. I think they want him to fully focus on developing as a SP for the time being even if there is room in the 'pen.

Marlins news roundup for 2/23/24 Here's what you should know with 34 days to go until Marlins Opening Day... Fish On First will have boots on the ground for today's Marlins spring training workout. Follow Isaac Azout, Kevin Barral and Alex Carver for live updates from the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex and check out our staff's 2024 Spring Training Journal (new entries every day). 🔹 Tim Anderson has indeed accepted the contract that the Marlins offered him last week, agreeing to a one-year, $5M deal. Looks like he's excited about it! We're just awaiting the corresponding roster move to make it official. 🔹 Our staff did an emergency Twitter space reacting to the Anderson news. We're largely in favor of the signing considering the low financial risk and lack of shortstop alternatives. 🔹 The Marlins also signed a pair of 28-year-old right-handers to minor league deals: Vladimir Gutierrez and Lincoln Henzman. Gutierrez received an invite to big league camp and has prior MLB experience with the Reds. Henzman is coming off a chaotic calendar year that began in the White Sox organization, then brought him to the independent Atlantic League, followed by an extraordinary stint in the Puerto Rican Winter League, a pitstop in the Dominican Republic during the LIDOM playoffs and a selection to Puerto Rico's Caribbean Series team. 🔹 Jesús Luzardo is scheduled to start Sunday's game for the Marlins against Nationals, Skip Schumaker announced. 🔹 Elsewhere around baseball, Mitch Keller signed a five-year, $77M extension with the Pirates, which sets a new franchise record for the largest contract they've ever given to a pitcher. Gio Urshela (1/$1.5M) signed with the Tigers (reportedly, the Marlins were in on Urshela as well). Mets ace Kodai Senga will begin this season on the injured list due to a shoulder capsule strain. One year removed from retiring as a player, old friend Justin Bour has been hired by the Brewers as an assistant in their player development department. 🔹 I have updated my Opening Day roster projection, with Anderson squeezing Xavier Edwards to Triple-A, among other modifications. 🔹 Christina De Nicola of MLB.com details what Skip Schumaker has done to instill a winning culture around the Marlins. 🔹 It felt like, “As Tim Anderson goes, so go the White Sox,” explains Jim Margalus of Sox Machine. 🔹 Our partners at Homage teased that Starter throwback jackets for every MLB team are going on sale on Monday. Fish On First will be picking one lucky SuperSub to win a Marlins jacket. Become a SuperSub today to support our coverage and be included in frequent giveaways like this. 🔹 He won't be playing for the Marlins in 2024, but this is Sandy Alcantara's seventh season in the Marlins organization. I made a montage that includes his Photo Day portraits from each year dating back to 2018. Marlins Podcast Episodes View full article

In the aftermath of adding a veteran shortstop to the mix, I'm projecting which 26 Marlins players are best positioned to make the Opening Day roster. Grapefruit League games haven't even begun yet and I already need to scrap last week's Miami Marlins roster projection. Who knows how effective Tim Anderson will be as the club's new shortstop, but the deal came together in ample time for Anderson to be active for Opening Day. That means somebody who was previously on track to make the cut is now on the outside looking in. I can say with a fairly high degree of confidence that there will be discrepancies between this projection and the ultimate 26-man active roster. Injuries are almost inevitable over the next five weeks. There will be extreme Grapefruit League performances that cannot be forecasted and may tilt a roster battle. Even so, hopefully you find some value in this exercise. Look out for at least one more roster projection update between now and Opening Day. Position Players Catchers (2): Christian Bethancourt, Nick Fortes Infielders (6): Tim Anderson, Luis Arraez, Josh Bell, Jon Berti, Jake Burger, Vidal Bruján Outfielders (5): Jazz Chisholm Jr., Bryan De La Cruz, Avisaíl García, Nick Gordon, Jesús Sánchez Just missed: Xavier Edwards, Trey Mancini, Dane Myers The catching situation is straightforward. Fortes' active roster spot could be in jeopardy early in the regular season if he continues to scuffle at the plate just as much as he did in 2023, but he's doubtful to be usurped on the depth chart until the real games begin. The Marlins traded three prospects in their deal to acquire the out-of-options Bruján. I still expect him to break camp with the club, though he's rarely going to step on the field for anything other than pinch-running and end-of-game defense. Until Arraez hurt his ankle last September, there wasn't much of a role for Edwards to play. Unfortunately, that continues to be the case. For the time being, the Marlins would presumably prefer having him in Triple-A Jacksonville's everyday lineup instead of warming the bench in Miami. It's a long season and he will get his chance eventually. The Marlins continue to reject the notion that García is a sunk cost. Perhaps they will change their tune before Opening Day, but with all of the guaranteed money still coming his way, it's not a fair fight between him and other hitters in camp. Pitchers Starters (5): Jesús Luzardo, Braxton Garrett, Eury Pérez, Edward Cabrera, Trevor Rogers Relievers (8): Anthony Bender, JT Chargois, Declan Cronin, Andrew Nardi, A.J. Puk, Tanner Scott, Josh Simpson, George Soriano Just missed: Huascar Brazoban, Anthony Maldonado, Max Meyer, Ryan Weathers Pretty good pitching staff, though pretty boring considering all but one of these arms finished last season in the Marlins organization. The exception is the righty in this photo, Declan Cronin. You had no clue what he looked like until now, and that's okay. Cronin has been outstanding in spring workouts from what Fish On First reporters have observed. Cronin is capitalizing on the absence of Brazoban. Just like in 2023, the Dominican reliever is significantly behind schedule due to visa issues. Last year, he trained independently while that was being sorted out and ramped up in time to join the Opening Day bullpen. Even with that precedent, I can't give him the benefit of the doubt for something that's partially beyond his control. Simpson slides into the lefty specialist role that previously belonged to Steven Okert. His nasty curveball should allow him to thrive with the platoon advantage. Soriano would be the projected mop-up man and likeliest pitcher to get optioned to the minors when making room for a fresh arm. Maldonado has nothing left to prove in Triple-A. Wouldn't be a shock if a preseason reliever injury paves the way for him to make the cut. However, it will be very tempting to delay his debut until mid-April, limiting enough MLB service time to ensure that club control carries through 2030 instead of only 2029. I believe Sixto Sánchez—who is out of options—will be designated for assignment when the times comes to finalize the roster. Any differences between your roster projection and mine? Comment to let me know. View full article

As you may have heard, Braxton Garrett is a little behind schedule because of shoulder soreness. If he has any kind of setback when trying to throw off a mound, that might be the cue to bring in somebody who's proven.

Personally, I would've gone with Rosario over Anderson too. Still trying to wrap my mind around how Rosario's price fell that low.

Marlins news roundup for 2/22/24 Here's what you should know with 35 days to go until Marlins Opening Day... Fish On First will have boots on the ground for today's Marlins spring training workout. Follow Noah Berger, Alex Carver and Nick Turok for live updates from the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex and check out our staff's 2024 Spring Training Journal (new entries every day). 🔹 Sixto Sánchez took an encouraging baby step on Wednesday by facing off against major league hitters in live batting practice. Fish On First has learned that Sánchez's fastball velocity ranged from 92-94 mph—still a far cry from the pre-injury phenom who was sitting 97-100, but it is the strongest he has felt since then. That being said, it would be impossible to justify giving him an active roster spot unless he continues to make strides with his command and secondary pitches. 🔹 Ryan Weathers will get the starting nod on Saturday when the Marlins play the Cardinals. Seems like a logical choice to give a talented arm who's projected to miss out on the Opening Day roster as many opportunities as possible to make an impression. Expect Weathers to be out there for two innings. 🔹 Elsewhere around baseball, there is an actual MLB (exhibition) game for us to watch today! The Dodgers and Padres will kick off the 2024 Cactus League schedule at 3:10 p.m. ET. First baseman Eric Hosmer has announced his retirement. The South Florida native played 13 seasons in the majors, enjoying his best years with the Royals. 🔹 On the latest Fish On First LIVE, our panel discussed Sixto's status, the Marlins' pursuit of Tim Anderson and under-the-radar players who've done well in camp so far. FOF LIVE is presented by Berger & Hicks! If you’ve been injured as a result of somebody else’s negligence, give them a call at (305) 670-7050. 🔹 Where are they now? Every spring training, I do a roundup of what happened to every player who spent the previous season with the Marlins. Unusual to see so many of them still lingering in free agency at this point. 🔹 Jake Burger told Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times that Tim Anderson was a "great teammate" to him when they were on the White Sox. Burger would endorse the Marlins picking him up, saying "it would be awesome to play with him [again]." Jazz Chisholm Jr. seems to be on board the TA train as well. Greenberg also wrote about the close friendship that has quickly developed between Burger and Josh Bell. 🔹 Trey Mancini is struck by how "close-knit" this Marlins team is, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. "They have such a good thing going," Mancini says, "and it’s something you want to be a part of." Mancini is a non-roster invitee trying to make the cut as a part-time first baseman/DH. 🔹 On his new Substack, Ethan Budowsky explains why the Bruce Sherman/Peter Bendix press conference "did them no favors in establishing trust" with the fanbase. View full article

2 bonus names for you who didn't belong in the article because they weren't used in any games despite being called up for brief periods...Sean Reynolds and Tommy Nance are both with the Padres now. Reynolds is on their 40-man roster, while Nance is an NRI on a minor league deal.

Nearly half of the contributors to Miami's 2023 postseason berth are no longer with the organization. The Miami Marlins had a relatively quiet 2023-24 offseason under new president of baseball operations Peter Bendix. It feels like they are running it back with many familiar faces from last year's squad. You may be surprised to learn how much turnover there's actually been: 44.2% of last season's Marlins major leaguers are no longer with the organization. Miami used 52 different players in regular season games a year ago. These 29 are still under contract with the org: Sandy Alcantara, Jacob Amaya, Luis Arraez, Josh Bell, Jon Berti, Huascar Brazoban, Jake Burger, Edward Cabrera, JT Chargois, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Jonathan Davis*, Bryan De La Cruz, Xavier Edwards, Nick Fortes, Avisaíl García, Braxton Garrett, Bryan Hoeing, Jeff Lindgren*, Jesús Luzardo, Dane Myers, Andrew Nardi, Eury Pérez, A.J. Puk, Trevor Rogers, Jesús Sánchez, Tanner Scott, Devin Smeltzer*, George Soriano and Ryan Weathers. *players who aren't currently on the 40-man roster Departures Entering opening week of the 2024 regular season, 16 ex-Marlins have found new employers: Matt Barnes—Washington Nationals Peyton Burdick—Baltimore Orioles Daniel Castano—NC Dinos (KBO) Enmanuel De Jesus—Kiwoom Heroes (KBO) Dylan Floro—Washington Nationals Robert Garcia—Washington Nationals Garrett Cooper—Chicago Cubs Garrett Hampson—Kansas City Royals Geoff Hartlieb—Colorado Rockies Jorge López—New York Mets Matt Moore—Los Angeles Angels Steven Okert—Minnesota Twins David Robertson—Texas Rangers Jorge Soler—San Francisco Giants Jacob Stallings—Colorado Rockies Joey Wendle—New York Mets Then, there are those still dangling in free agency, all of whom were objectively unproductive against MLB competition last season: Archie Bradley, Johnny Cueto, Chi Chi González, Yuli Gurriel, Sean Nolin, Johan Quezada and Jean Segura. At this rate, some of them may opt for retirement. View full article