THOMAS JOSEPH

Thanks for the AFL coverage.

I watched the AFL game yesterday on MLB. TV. Bare bones, huh? One camera that often cannot/does not capture the action. No graphics. I understand, to a degree, with the MLB playoffs. Still, it's a bit disappointing they don't have even a cursory presentation. Oh, well. I just glanced at the final regular season stats. The Marlins had three more home runs than the Rays. Wow. Marlins also had a ten-point BAbip advantage. The Marlins' .299 was the eighth-best in MLB if I recall. I know the stat doesn't include HRs, but it is still surprising. Offensively, put the ball in play. Good things happen. Pitchers - avoid walks. That's the simple recipe.

That was an enjoyable interview. Frankly, I was surprised by how Mr. Woodrum portrayed his experience and the positivity regarding progress within the Marlins organization. No bitterness. Gratitude is rare nowadays, perhaps because there are so darn few thoughtful individuals. Sorry for the old curmudgeon line, but it's the damn truth. Good for Woodrum and I wish him all the best. To Woodrum's point, I understand being a Marlins fan has been/is challenging. I'm a newcomer, but I know the mindset. My take is that it's much more fun to be a fan of the Marlins (or my beloved Expos) than any of the so-called top teams. I also appreciate long-suffering fans of the Cubs and Pirates, for example. So many fans of the powerhouse teams expect to win, and satisfaction is short-lived. Whatever is done is never enough. Dodger fans will not be satisfied with a WS win during Ohtani's tenure. One won't cut it. Phillies fans are already anxious that Harper is nearly halfway through his monster deal without a title to show for it. Yankee fans are Yankee fans. It's a hamster wheel. Lastly, thanks for bringing the interview to us, and for letting Woodrum express himself so thoroughly. He had some things to say with this opportunity. We would never have heard his perspectives anywhere else.

These types of articles are fun. We all expect moves, but I wager it would be nearly as fluid at the top club. There's reason for pride in that starting staff, I just hope to see it intact for a while. Lastly, I hope Stowers returns with significantly improved contact numbers. The Marlins need the power badly. Cheers.

Enjoyed the Sunday evening X show. I wouldn't be surprised if Serna turned out to be the most impactful prospect among the position players. Thanks.

Lots of concerns over the Diamond Sports situation. I heard Locked on Angels hosts discussing the same thing and the ramifications of a possible sale of the Angels. Would it prompt Moreno to sell as the television revenue was more uncertain, or would it be an opportunity to reset the team's future situation (TV and digital rights)? Would a team's value be materially affected? For the Marlins and Sherman's ownership group, it's another blow likely to manifest itself in the payroll immediately. Even more so than we perhaps already expected. According to Samson, the team has lost money each year since Loria sold, augmenting Sherman's overpay. I am outside of the local market and buy MLB.tv anyway. My only blackout is when the Marlins play Cincinnati. When I'm in Jacksonville, I watch Bally's, but that's not often during the hot months anymore.

Plenty of good points in this article that provoked some thoughts on my end. The first one is the dubiousness of the "bullets saved" idea. There are plenty of overuse horror stories (most of which are simply conventional baseball thinking at the time), but just as many defy cumulative use predisposition. Perhaps, it is not helpful to use superhumans like Nolan Ryan in the discussion. I often cite Steve Rogers of the Montréal Expos, whose career numbers are marvels by today's standards and who was rarely disabled (especially during his younger days). So many factors are involved. Of course, competent pitching coaches and modern add-ons for teams (nutrition, strength/conditioning, etc.) are important, up and down the development line. Regarding defense, I think the outfield improves with Hill and Stowers. Norby will continue to improve as he learns the position, especially as he appears to be singularly minded toward excelling. Shortstop is the biggest concern over a full season. Edwards must be in the lineup, but it is painfully obvious his arm will cost the Marlins. I don't know enough to say if there are arm strength programs that would be efficacious at Edwards' age. First base is the other anxious spot, mentioned on the recent podcast. Hire a top coach for Bride, De Los Santos, and Burger to work in ST. I wish we had a youngish Tony Perez for that task, but I am sure there are options. Lastly, I heard David Samson. He expressed his disgust at some of the staff firings. I will not defend them, but perhaps Bendix believes a full organizational culture change requires a clean slate. As Samson said, Bendix better be right and produce after such a wholesale turnover. After a season like 2024, goodwill is used up, so Bendix probably sees no downside in the optics of the clean slating now. One thing is sure in baseball (and professional sports, in general), if Bendix wins, nobody will give a rip about any of this.

Great to hear that Tito is healthy and returning to the dugout. Another star courtesy of the bountiful Montréal Expos farm system.

Doesn't seem to be any apparent reason to move on from Fortes. If we figure little spending, they don't have two catchers ready or even with MLB experience to replace Fortes. Who knows, though? Sánchez is cheap vis-à-vis production. Power is in short supply. The combination likely means he stays. Cabrera, though, I can see a move. Cheers.

My post-season wish list, in ascending order: 1) anyone but the Dodgers or the Yankees; 2) a team that has not won a title or a low-revenue team; 3) the Padres to win it all this year.

Gotta give props to another homegrown Expos player. I recall watching the game with Cliff's wrist injury. That was one of two in-game injuries for the Expos that stand out for me. The other was Terry Francona's devastating knee injury. Just two more excellent players from the Expos developmental juggernaut. I'd like to see Bendix start that conveyor belt of talent for the Marlins.

I enjoyed the banter and insights in this episode. Well done, guys. Made some comments on the YouTube channel. Even as we fans are disappointed with the season record, Schumaker's departures, and others leaving the team, there is the normal anticipation. We even have the changeover at the Locked on Marlins channel. For those of us not interested in football or basketball, the FOF coverage during the off-season is even more appreciated. I'll watch the AFL and Dominican League, too.

A tidy summary here. Best to Schumaker - a tough business. The tie for Prediction Time bragging rights is wild. I didn't always participate, but appreciate the skills of the top guys. I surely enjoyed the Jays series. Still, I'm usually a bit melancholy as the regular season ends. More so, the older I get. It marks the passage of time, certainly, and is accompanied by a withdrawal of sorts. I saw your final appearance on Locked on Marlins with Peter Pratt. So, many endings, yet then proverbial beginnings. Happy to still be here for them all. Again, thanks for the first-rate coverage, on which I will continue to rely.

Thank you for the balanced wrap of Arraez's regular season. The third batting title displays astonishing consistency as the league's BA continues to be lukewarm. Last time I looked, only seven big leagues were batting .300 or better. Seven. His accomplishment is impressive on its face, more so considering the adjustments emanating from changing teams. You wrapped up regarding Arraez's salary projections. Could he be on the move again, especially if the Friars break through for a first WS title? The multi-layered considerations of modern baseball, indeed.

Well done, Mr. Weathers. The sweep and two-pitcher game are a nice sendoff. Your X post regarding positive Bendix moves was properly balanced. It's a wild one, but my fantasy is a third Marlins WS title before the Dodgers win another. My goodness, baseball would mess the bed!

I like the direction of your thinking, especially regarding the pitching and ST opportunities. Doubt that FAs are in the picture, and frankly, I can understand that. Lastly, you named Tinoco, and rightly so. I neglected him as one of Bendix's "steals" last season. I'm excited to see this FO's plan implementation.

"The arms coming back" alone should translate to ten to fifteen wins. Oller, Bellozo, Faucher, and Cronin were all steals. Also important were the ABs for the young new core. No way I am pessimistic at this juncture. I do take a bit of an issue with Azout's that "it (Bendix's direction) remains unclear. Although its true that our insights as front office outsiders can't be complete, I wager Bendix is an inveterate planner with quite specific plans, target, and a timeline. I am wary because of baseball's utter unpredictability, of course. Still, the deliberateness of Bendix's strategy feels comforting to me compared to reliance on piecemeal free agent signings, incoherent drafting, and poor developmental accountability.

This is useful - thanks! Outside of FA pursuits, this off-season will be predictably Bendix active. Dude has no compunction about moves, we know. That 40-man roster chart could be a hamster wheel. Lol.

Wagering Oller and Bellozo are on the 2025 Opening Day roster.

Condolences to Skip Schumaker and his family. I wish him the best in Cincinnati or wherever he lands.

Congrats to the Baumanns! Along with Oller and Bellozo, I think he has a chance at the Opening Day roster. The Marlins need a long reliever and coverage until Perez returns (at least).

Last series: "My reverse psychology; Twins win 2 of 3. "Knickers" Santana as MVP" I must continue with the RP: Blue Jays win 2 of 4. George "Will Anyone Take my Contract" Springer as MVP. LOL.

As the colloquialism goes, it's all on Bendix going forward, I'm onboard with the long-term drafting and developmental strategy as the only way forward to Marlins sustainable competitiveness.

There should be plenty of playing time for both, but I suspect changes over the winter will be involved, of course.

Sorry that I will miss the show tonight live. I will watch the replay. Look forward to seeing it. Cheers.