Daniel Rodriguez

Daniel Rodriguez breaks down the pros and cons of free agent starters Michael Lorenzen, Seth Lugo and Chris Flexen. Which ones do you want to see the Miami Marlins go after? Subscribe to the Fish On First YouTube channel to watch video versions of every episode of The Offishial Show. Follow Daniel (@Drodyyy) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. Our Fish On First podcast programming includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, State of the Fish, Swimming Upstream, Fishology and What a Relief. All new episodes are posted to FishOnFirst.com/podcasts. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean, Megaphone or wherever you normally get your pods from.

Daniel Rodriguez breaks down the pros and cons of free agent outfielders Joey Gallo, Travis Jankowski, Hunter Renfroe, Jason Heyward and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Which ones do you want to see the Miami Marlins go after? Subscribe to the Fish On First YouTube channel to watch video versions of every episode of The Offishial Show. Follow Daniel (@Drodyyy) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. Our Fish On First podcast programming includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, State of the Fish, Swimming Upstream, Fishology and What a Relief. All new episodes are posted to FishOnFirst.com/podcasts. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean, Megaphone or wherever you normally get your pods from.

Daniel Rodriguez breaks down the pros and cons of free agent infielders Amed Rosario, Justin Turner and Tim Anderson. Which ones do you want to see the Miami Marlins go after? Subscribe to the Fish On First YouTube channel to watch video versions of every Small Pod episode. Follow Daniel (@Drodyyy) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. Our Fish On First podcast programming includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, State of the Fish, Swimming Upstream, Fishology and What a Relief. All new episodes are posted to FishOnFirst.com/podcasts. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean, Megaphone or wherever you normally get your pods from.

Daniel Rodriguez breaks down the pros and cons of free agent catchers Mitch Garver, Yasmani Grandal, Tom Murphy and Victor Caratini. Which ones do you want to see the Miami Marlins go after? Subscribe to the Fish On First YouTube channel to watch video versions of every Small Pod episode. Follow Daniel (@Drodyyy) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. Our Fish On First podcast programming includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, State of the Fish, Swimming Upstream, Fishology and What a Relief. All new episodes are posted to FishOnFirst.com/podcasts. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean, Megaphone or wherever you normally get your pods from.

Relive all of the ups and downs of the 2023 Miami Marlins with our Fish On First Season Review, containing detailed articles about a wide variety of players. The FOF staff analyzes the individual impact that each of them had and what it means for their future with the organization. This installment focuses on reliever/spot starter Bryan Hoeing. 2023 TimelineJanuary 25—received non-roster invite to Marlins spring trainingApril 25—contract selected by MarlinsJuly 29—optioned to to AAA-JacksonvilleAugust 14—recalled from AAA-JacksonvilleSeason Stats: 2-3, 33 G/7 GS, 70.2 IP, 53 SO, 1.36 WHIP, 5.29 FIP, 0.1 bWAR Building upon a disastrous major league debut in 2022, Bryan Hoeing worked his way into a more impactful role on the 2023 team. He still had a fair share of ups and downs with consistency being his main issue. The first step for Hoeing was reclaiming his 40-man roster spot. He finished spring training with a respectable 3.68 ERA and 10 SO in 7.1 IP. Hoeing began the regular season with AAA-Jacksonville. After back-to-back scoreless starts on April 14 and April 20, the Marlins called him up when they needed a fresh arm. Last season, Hoeing struggled to keep himself on the roster, but in 2023, he earned the trust of new Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. That led to an increase in starting opportunities, including three against the Atlanta Braves. It was hard to tell which version of Hoeing you were getting from month to month. His ERAs in April, July, and September/October were all above 6.00 while dipping below 3.80 in May, June, and August. Hoeing's average sinker velocity increased from 93.1 mph in 2022 to 94.1 mph in 2023, but his usage of the pitch went way down, from 68.5% to 51.6%. Even with significant improvement to his strikeout rate, he still only ranked in the 13th percentile among MLB pitchers. After posting a very high groundball rate with the Jumbo Shrimp (56.8%), he was barely above league average when pitching for the Marlins (45.1%). Baseball SavantHoeing slumped at an inconvenient time. He allowed 12 runs (all earned) in his final two appearances, including an especially bad performance against the Milwaukee Brewers on September 22 that led to the most lopsided loss of the Marlins' season. Despite being very thin on pitching entering the playoffs, the Marlins left Hoeing off of their NL Wild Card Series roster. Highlights Future with the MarlinsDo not expect Hoeing to pitch as many innings for the Marlins in 2024 as he did this season. Lacking reliable secondary pitches, he is better suited to be a reliever than a starter and his splits reflect that. His versatility to pitch in either role is useful, but ultimately, putting him in a position to get outs is the most important thing. The Marlins should be in the market to add more right-handed bullpen help this offseason, so Hoeing could be buried on the depth chart by the time spring training arrives. Photo by Danis Sosa/Fish On First

Relive all of the ups and downs of the 2023 Miami Marlins with our Fish On First Season Review, containing detailed articles about a wide variety of players. The FOF staff analyzes the individual impact that each of them had and what it means for their future with the organization. This installment focuses on outfielder Jonathan Davis. 2023 TimelineJanuary 30—signed minor league deal with the Detroit TigersMay 22—traded by Tigers to Marlins for OF Brady AllenMay 23—made Marlins debutJuly 4—suffered season-ending right knee injuryJuly 6—underwent successful meniscus surgeryJuly 10—transferred to 60-day ILOctober 31—activated from 60-day IL and outrighted to Triple-A JacksonvilleSeason Stats: 34 G, 104 PA, .244/.307/.378, 85 OPS+, 0.0 bWAR Baseball-ReferenceDays after starting center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. suffered a turf toe injury, the Marlins sent former fifth-round draft pick Brady Allen to the Tigers in exchange for Jonathan Davis, who had been playing for Detroit's Triple-A affiliate. This midseason trade for a little-known, 31-year-old outfielder turned out to be a needed spark for the Fish. In his first seven games as a Marlin, Davis was more impactful than the team could've imagined as he posted a slash line of .333/.407/.543 while his defense was serviceable in his brief time manning center. He started 11 of the team's next 13 games overall. He even earned the opportunity to start back-to-back games in the leadoff spot against the Los Angeles Angels (May 27-28). This hot streak of course was not sustainable for a full season and Davis came back to Earth with his bat in June, settling into the role of the Marlins' fourth outfielder during that span. He also became a fan favorite with an enthusiastic smile and his willingness to help the team in any way. Even when Chisholm returned from the IL, Davis' spot on the roster was safe. In games where the Marlins put Davis in their starting lineup, the team's record was a remarkable 20-7. During his sixth MLB season, he set new career highs in plate appearances and at-bats. Sadly for Davis, his season was cut short after attempting to make a diving play at LoanDepot Park on July 4. He needed to be carted off the field and underwent meniscus surgery two days later. While rehabbing, he continued to be a positive presence in the Marlins clubhouse during the second half and he had begun a running progression shortly before the season ended. https://www.instagram.com/p/CufT1lCO0Zd/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_linkHighlightshttps://videopress.com/v/MfLs12CEhttps://videopress.com/v/LFdTR3jy?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=truehttps://videopress.com/v/GK5Vodhl?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=truehttps://videopress.com/v/Awr0OaZt?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=trueFuture with MarlinsDavis is used to the journeyman lifestyle, having been with five different organizations over the last three years. In 2024, he would have been eligible for arbitration for the first time. However, the Marlins decided that he wasn't worth the pay raise. They outrighted him to the minors on Tuesday and he now has the right to elect free agency. Davis should be receiving plenty of offers to sign minor league deals that include invites to spring training. Hopefully, the Marlins will be at the front of the line and give him the opportunity to compete for the job he had before his injury. Photo by Danis Sosa/Fish On First

These four players may not have the same name value as Sandy Alcantara or Luis Arraez, but everybody on the Miami Marlins roster made an impact to get the team back in the postseason. Had they not embraced their roles and stepped up in clutch situations, the Marlins would be beginning their offseason instead of preparing for the NL Wild Card Series. Garrett Hampson: 98 G, .275 AVG, .726 OPS, played six different positions, 1.2 bWAR When signed as a free agent back in December, Hampson was coming off a rough 2022 season, posting a career-low .594 OPS, thus ending his five-year tenure with the Rockies. No wonder that the Marlins were able to get him on a minor league deal. Despite missing out on the Opening Day roster, he proved to be ultimate utilityman for Miami during the 2023 season Hampson has proven his worth and then some with his position flexibility and his improved bat. He posted career highs in batting average, OPS, bWAR, and wRC+ (50 points higher than in 2022). The Marlins signed big, established names in free agency last winter like Johnny Cueto, Yuli Gurriel and Jean Segura. Who could've imagine that Hampson would provide more wins above replacement than any of them?! He deserves his flowers. JT Chargois: 46 G/5 GS, 42.1 IP, 3.61 ERA, 0.8 bWAR Chargois, a righty reliever, had a strong season in 2022 despite missing most of the season with left oblique tightness and achieved a 2.42 ERA in a little over 22 innings. He was sent to Miami from the Tampa Bay Rays—a very familiar Marlins trade partner—on November 15 in a deal that also brought (who we will discuss later). The beginning of the 2023 season looked familiar as Chargois pitched quality innings as a setup man before a right oblique strain sidelined the righty for more than a month. Late in the season amid the Marlins' challenges in the pitching rotation, Skip Schumaker chose to go with Chargois as an opener for bullpen games. He had only made three previous starts in his career (all in 2022), but five different times, the 32-year-old reliever was tasked with setting the tone for these all-important games with playoff implications. As a starter this season, Chargois held his opponents scoreless (4.1 IP). Chargois prevented earned runs in 35 out of 46 games this season. He finished with a 3.80 FIP—his lowest since his rookie season—thanks to an ability to prevent homers. JT was never supposed to be the number one guy for the Marlins out of the 'pen; nevertheless, he performed very well when his number was called. Showing a lot of versatility, Chargois did his part to get Miami back to the playoffs. Jonathan Davis: 34 G, .244 AVG, .685 OPS If there was a player this season who brought the largest amount of joy in the shortest amount of time it would be Davis. Most people may not have known who Davis was and I wouldn't blame you as his career high in games played was 64 back in 2021 (TOR & NYY). Shortly after Jazz Chisholm Jr. suffered a turf toe injury, Davis was traded from Detroit to Miami on May 22 for former fifth-round pick Brady Allen. Davis jumped on the scene in his first seven games with Miami posting a slash line of .333/.407/.542 while providing serviceable defense in that span. Of course, that line is not sustainable and Davis fell back down to Earth, still posting a respectable slash line for June in what was a 4th outfielder role for the Marlins. Davis became a fan favorite to the Marlins community in record time because of his great attitude, big smile...and the fact that the Marlins won games whenever he was in the lineup (20-7 record). Sadly, Davis sustained a right knee injury on July 4 when attempting a diving play. He needed to be carted out of the field and required meniscus surgery, thus ending his season. https://www.instagram.com/p/CufT1lCO0Zd/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Davis has remained part of the organization while rehabbing in Miami, providing a positive presence in the clubhouse for home games. He's far enough along with his recovery that the Marlins should feel comfortable tendering him a contract for 2024 and reap the benefits of having him around the organization for a full season. Xavier Edwards: 30 G, .291 AVG, .653 OPS Joining the Marlins last November along with the aforementioned Chargois, Edwards spent most of 2023 dominating at AAA. He then became a sparkplug to push Miami over the playoff hill. The former first-round draft pick made his ML debut on May 2 while Avisaíl García was placed on the IL and Joey Wendle was nearing a return from his own injury. In a minimal amount of at-bats (21), Edwards posted an interesting slash line of .381/.381/.429. It was clear that would not be the last we saw of X this year. Entering September, he was chosen to fill one of the extra roster spots. Edwards initially did not have a clear role, but first Jorge Soler suffered an oblique strain, then eventual NL batting champ Luis Arraez sprained his ankle. Edwards had large shoes to fill and he was up to it. Notable individual performances for Edwards include his game-winning RBI on September 13 and his three-hit game on September 24. What he did in the closing weeks of the season, particularly as a bunter and baserunner, will not go unnoticed and Fish On First projects him to earn a spot on the playoff roster. https://fishonfirst.com/analysis/marlins-playoff-roster-projection-2023-wild-card-series-2/Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Daniel, Louis and Ely explain the ideal roles for these players with the Fish and how can their new team bring out the best in them.Daniel Rodriguez and Louis Addeo-Weiss are joined by Ely Sussman. Episode 16 of Fishology dives deep into the Miami Marlins' trade deadline day acquisitions: Josh Bell, Jake Burger and Ryan Weathers. What are their ideal roles with the Fish and how can their new team bring out the best in them? Subscribe to the Fish On First YouTube channel to watch video versions of every Fishology episode. 2023 MLB stats for each player prior to being traded: Bell (Cleveland Guardians): .233/.318/.383, 11 HR, 95 wRC+, -0.3 fWAR in 97 GBurger (Chicago White Sox): .214/.279/.527, 25 HR, 115 wRC+, 1.4 fWAR in 88 GWeathers (San Diego Padres): 44.2 IP, 6.25 ERA, 5.80 FIP, 1.61 WHIP, 0.0 fWAR in 12 G/10 GSFollow Daniel (@Drodyyy), Louis (@addeo_louis00), Ely (@RealEly) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. Our Fish On First podcast programming includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, Fishology, State of the Fish and What a Relief. All new episodes are posted to FishOnFirst.com/podcasts. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean, Megaphone or wherever you normally get your pods from.

Garrett Cooper speaks to the media at LoanDepot Park after finding out he's been traded to the San Diego Padres. Prior to Tuesday's trade deadline, the Miami Marlins sent Cooper, pitching prospect Sean Reynolds and cash to San Diego for left-hander Ryan Weathers. An NL All-Star selection in 2022, Cooper was the longest-tenured player on the Marlins active roster, arriving from the New York Yankees in a November 2017 deal. He'll be eligible for free agency this offseason. Wishing all the best to Coop in San Diego!

For the second straight night, the Marlins continued their celebration of Miguel Cabrera, one of their most important players in franchise history. Saturday's game coincided with a Venezuelan heritage celebration. The festivities attracted 32,936 fans. There was a pregame ceremony featuring various Venezuelan legends, honoring the country's rich baseball history. Miami came into this game with brand new bullpen pieces. Joining Jorge López, the team activated David Robertson who figures to take over as the Marlins' closer. In a corresponding move, the club optioned Bryan Hoeing to AAA- Jacksonville (had not pitched in last 10 days). The fireworks started early as Johnny Cueto allowed a stand-up double to Miguel Cabrera after he received his first of several standing ovations. Giving up a Javy Baez walk earlier put runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the second inning. A three-run shot to Akil Baddoo gave Detroit the early lead. Entering the game, Baddoo had been in a 1-for-22 slump. Things began to heat up in the 4th with an Luis Arraez single, his 42nd multi-hit game of the season. He raised his average to a league-leading .383. Cooper followed that up with a single advancing Arraez to third, but the Marlins could not capitalize and yet again left multiple runners stranded on the basepaths. In terms of pitching, Cueto proved to be serviceable against the Tigers. One knock on Cueto throughout his tenure as a Marlin is his inability to miss bats, which today he was able to turn it around in that department with 10 whiffs. Before being pulled, Cueto gave up a solo shot to Riley Greene. Ultimately, Cueto ended up having an OK day to justify his spot on the Marlins pitching staff. Final Line: 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 H, 5 SO, 83 Pitches One of the Marlins' newest acquisitions, Jorge López, made his team debut. López gave up a walk and was helped tremendously by a great Luis Arraez double play. López still needs help with his control to return to being the same player that was an All-Star in 2022. Five different Tigers pitchers combined to throw a shutout against the Marlins. It was a disappointing performance in front of the largest home crowd in six years and makes the series finale a must-win game for Miami because the next four after that are all against the division rival Phillies, a fellow NL Wild Card contender. Three Stars of the Game (Marlins) The Attendance (largest for a Marlins home game since April 29, 2017)Luis Arraez (2-for-4, diving defensive play)Johnny Cueto (6.0 IP, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 H, 5 SO, 83 Pitches)Marlins are back Sunday at 1:40 for the third game of the series vs. the Tigers. The starting pitching matchup will be Jesús Luzardo ( 3.22 ERA, 120.1 IP) vs. Tarik Skubal (3.71 ERA, 17.0 IP). Photo by Danis Sosa/Fish On First

The reigning NL Cy Young award winner enters the All-Star break with only three wins as the Marlins bullpen couldn't preserve his lead.The Marlins opened up a new series on Friday vs. the Philadelphia Phillies. Any matchup between these division rivals is important, but especially this one as they battle for 2nd place in the NL East and NL Wild Card positioning as the All-Star break quickly approaches. Before the first pitch was even thrown, Marlins GM Kim Ng made news by announcing that breakout rookie Eury Pérez has been optioned down to AA-Pensacola. Despite Pérez's success, the club is carefully managing his innings. The door is open for him to receive a potential call-up later on in the year. The Marlins were able to get on the board early by beating out throws to first base on two separate occasions. Jacob Stallings showed off his wheels to get Miami on the board early and grab himself a base hit. Dane Myers followed Stallings with a 30.1 ft/sec run to 1st base that kept the inning alive and extended Miami's lead to 2-0. In the third inning, Garrett Cooper hit a solo shot of Zack Wheeler. For Coop, this home run makes it his 12th of the year and the most for him since 2019 when he launched 15. Aside from those plays, Wheeler had his ace stuff. He went six innings with seven strikeouts as Miami could not figure him out. In 21 career starts against the Marlins, Wheeler has a 2.46 ERA. Meanwhile, Sandy Alcantara was coming off a rough start vs. the Braves. He settled down in this start with five straight scoreless innings including back-to-back strikeouts on Nicholas Castellanos and Bryce Harper. Sandy mixed his pitches very well—using each of his four pitches between 23-32% of the time with his sinker leading the way—and threw 74.7% of his pitches for strikes. His one mistake was giving up a solo shot former Marlin JT Realmuto with two outs in the top of the sixth. Final Line: 6.2 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 5 SO, 95 Pitches The game flipped for the Marlins in the 9th inning when A.J. Puk entered the game with a 3-1 lead trying to secure the save. Puk gave up an early single to Realmuto and a double to Alec Bohm, which cut the lead to just one run. With a runner on second and two outs, Cristian Pache (who is not known for his power) launched a two-run homer of an 84 MPH sweeper to ultimately win the game for the Phillies. This has been Puk's second blown save in a row. In his last two innings, Puk has given up 5 ER, with two home runs. In the postgame scrum, Skip Schumaker was still adamant that Puk's role was not going to be changing for the time being. Puk's previous blown save was overshadowed by a comeback against Jordan Hicks and the Cardinals, but this time, there was no Marlins Magic in the bottom of the 9th. A leadoff single by Jean Segura could not get things going as Miami fell to the Phillies by a score of 4-3. This loss closes the gap even more between Miami and Philly to just 1.5 games. Both teams have 39 losses on the year. The Phillies have won 13 consecutive road games. Three Stars of the Game (Marlins) Sandy Alcantara (6.2 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 5 SO, 95 pitches)Garrett Cooper (2-4, HR) Joey Wendle (2-4, 2 2B)Marlins are back Saturday at 4:10 for the second game of the series vs. the Phillies. The starting pitching matchup will be the red-hot Braxton Garrett vs. Ranger Suárez.

Daniel, Louis and Ely dedicate this episode to what makes Arraez unique in today's game and why it's working so well for him.Daniel Rodriguez and Louis Addeo-Weiss are joined by Ely Sussman. Episode 15 of Fishology dives deep into the stupendous and unorthodox start to Luis Arraez's Marlins career. We finish off by discussing where Jesús Sánchez's clutch catch ranks among the most valuable plays of the 2023 Marlins season. Subscribe to the Fish On First YouTube channel to watch video versions of every Fishology episode. Arraez enters Friday ranking in the 100th percentile among MLB hitters in strikeout rate and whiff rate and in the 99th percentile in expected batting average. His actual batting average of .378 is 47 points better than the next-closest MLB qualifier. That's despite being in the midst of a slump (hitless in his last three games). Follow Daniel (@Drodyyy), Louis (@addeo_louis00), Ely (@RealEly) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. Our Fish On First podcast programming includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, Fishology, State of the Fish and What a Relief. All new episodes are posted to FishOnFirst.com/podcasts. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean, Megaphone or wherever you normally get your pods from. Featured image by Danis Sosa/Fish On First