Slacker Mills

All I remember about Miguel Rojas is him in that ridiculous monkey mask, shoving shaving cream in the faces of players being interviewed near the dugout in the post games. If that's what leadership and maturity are all about ... well, what can you even say.

Mine would look nothing like the projected lineup of Arraez, Bell, Barger and Chisholm on top. Vs. RHP Gordon, Jazz, Arraez and J. Sanchez. Speed on top, fastballs for Jazz in the two, a high average hitter to knock in runs would be third. Bell in the two simply doesn't work as he's an immediate rally killer with all the infield grounders and staggering number of double plays. Bell and Burger would follow Sanchez.

I'd start Sixto on Saturday, with a 50 pitch limit. He's been the team's most efficient pitcher this spring and could easily get three innings out of that. Then bring on a Weathers, for example, to go another three or four innings. I'm sure Sanchez would prefer one 50-pitch outing a week to two 25-pitch outings. (A lot of fans would turn our for a Sanchez start too.)

The mere idea of signing Anderson gave me a queasy feeling. The actuality of it made me sick altogether. Like the departed (and much maligned) Joey Wendle, he was a former All Star gone sour. While some attributed his completely sunken 2023 to nagging injuries, he claims to be in perfect shape now. Despite that, his spring performance has found a new low. In addition to not hitting (14 whiffs already) he has been unable to walk even once. Jon Berti would represent a giant improvement. So what do you do with the guy? It's not like his hitting is destined to improve when spring ends and he starts facing better pitching. What a sad and predictable mess this has turned out to be.

After the 80-minute interview with Jazz, the question of why he isn't playing SS only gets more interesting. He says he sees himself as a SS first and foremost ... only played second base because the team had a Gold Glover at SS in Rojas. So what the heck is doing in CF? Is he better defensively at SS than Anderson? Has to be by default. Are there plenty of options for CF? Dane Meyers can play it m

Correction: Hoeing or Monteverde.

Follow the Marlins much? Trevor Rogers is now near the top of the rotation. Weathers and Puk drop into the mix and a fifth starter will likely be Hoeing or maybe Hoeing. However, Garrett figures to be ready within a couple weeks and Cabrera shouldn't be far behind. Personally, I'd use Sixto as an opener and try to squeeze three to four innings out of him.

Jazz and Rojas are just immature little kids. Jazz collects chains and Rojas collects friggin' sneakers! Naturally, the older players are prone to be jealous of the attention-grabbing young players who display a lot more talent. Little boys being little boys.

The fifth rotation lefty? Patrick Monteverde? And then the sixth in Braxton Garrett?

Gordon should be playing CF. Jazz should be at SS. Anderson should never have been signed. There, I said it.

Will front office let Brujan go in favor of Meyers? Do you play Anderson no matter how badly he plays, just because you made the mistake of signing him? Do you play Burger and bat him clean up no matter how badly he performs? Why Josh Bell ever got assigned the two spot in the batting order will always be a mystery.

Classic walk-off! Pitcher puts the ball exactly where he wants it and Meyers hits it out anyway.

I'd like to say you are being overly dramatic, but you are not.

Bad feeling about Perez and his elbow. Bad feeling about Rogers too. He was at 94 in his last start and 91-92 today. Something not right there. All the Marlins really had was their talented rotation. With that gone, there was a Grim Reaper sighting at Loan Depot Park this afternoon. Other notes: Big Boy Jake Burger is about as lost at the plate as anybody I have ever seen. His only chance of reaching base is to not swing. Didn't think Josh Bell had a step left to lose, but you time him with a sun dial.

It doesn't pay to accept the words of others when it comes to judging prospects.. I put White at three and Noble Meyer in the teens as a result of personal observation. Today, White was an easy 96 with control of the occasional off-speed stuff. Meyer sat at a very hittable 92-93 with little control. The two aren't close as prospects at this point.Teel should have been the Marlins top pick.

Preseason is the best. Everyone is tied for first place in the regular season standings. How are the Marlins looking? Well. somebody has to take off the rose-colored glasses. Catcher. The Marlins fielded the worst in the game in 2023. The answer was to send Stallings packing and spend $100K for a replacement in Bethancourt. He's played for half the teams in baseball over the last decade, and none of them wanted to keep him. Last season he was beaten out by Rene Pinto at Tampa Bay. Who is he? Exactly. The best hope for the Marlins is Will Banfield, who will be hitting homers at Jacksonville. First base. Josh Bell has been another hot potato. After miserable stretches with San Diego and Cleveland, his obese contract wound up in Miami last year. He accepted his $16.5 million option for this season (much to the team's chagrin). Some will say that he was a godsend for the Marlins last year. I guess you can say anything. I'll say that he'll lead the team in bouncing into double plays and nothing else this season. I'll include Jake Burger here because nobody wants him at third base. He showed a modicum of talent with the bat last year, and has concealed it completely this spring. Second base. Luis Arraez gets a whole bunch of hits. He will also get a whole bunch of money next season, which is his final arbitration year. With absolutely no shot at the playoffs this season, the Marlins would be wise to send him to Boston for a young catcher in Kyle Teel and a sparkplug in Cedanne Rafaela. He's also clogging up second base, the destination for his much faster clone in Xavier Edwards. Shortstop. Up is the only way to go for Anderson, right? I mean he set the stage for a comeback last season by earning the distinction of being both the worst offensive and defensive performer among regulars in all of baseball. I hear you. Spring doesn't matter. Good thing. ;He's been absolutely awful. Third base. I don't even know if the skipper has an answer for this one. I guess you could play Berti there. I also guess you could find a way to trade for Noelvi Marte, who is on suspension for the first eighty games of the season. I have no doubt that Marte could put up better numbers in half a season than Berti in a full season. Outfield and DH. Soler's premium bat is gone. Well, guess what? Adam Duvall just signed with Atlanta for $3 million and could have been a Marlin! His power numbers are comparable to Soler's and he can actually run the bases and play very good OF defense. And all of that for less than a quarter of Avisail Garcia's salary. How did this opportunity go wasted? Jazz Chisholm will be a very good player if the strike outs can be limited. He will be fun to watch even if he does go on whiffing. Jesus Sanchez might be good this year and I'm betting he will be. It's time to bat him third in the order against RHP. And De La Cruz. His durability allowed him to lead the team in RBI, but the OPS+ says the team is putting up with very poor defense in the name of less than ML average offensive production. Not good. Pitching. Don't say spring doesn't matter to the Fishonfirst crew! They are putting Puk and Weathers on the All Star team already! Based on what, you ask? I have no idea. Then again, I'm crazy too. I think Sixto Sanchez will be far more productive as a starter than either of them. Why? Start with the fact that Sixto has a better fastball, change, and slider than either of them. I like Luzardo and Cabrera and Perez to have solid seasons. I like Trevor Rogers to be even better. When Braxton Garrett returns, I'm looking for excellence too. He gets no credit for his amazing work last season, probably because he's a soft-tosser. His five-to-one K/W ratio was absolutely extraordinary. My appraisal here proves I'm not a total pessimist. I see clouds over the bullpen, however. Tanner Scott is lost until he demonstrates otherwise. Nardi is not himself. Bender is hanging every breaking ball and needs to get that fixed. Soriano is way under-rated and could be a nice surprise. Maldonado has gotten past early spring jitters and looks great. Puk and Weathers will be needed in the pen sooner than later. I know, I know. I said exactly what you all were thinking.

Didn't know that Sanchez was still eligible so I'd put him Number One. The added benefit here is that the Marlins will have him for Pre Arb money for the next three years (which will hopefully be his prime).

Noble Meyer He's shown nothing. I'd say mid teens.Thomas White No. 4 prospectMax Meyer number 2Victor Mesa Jr. out of top tenLuis Cova know nothing about himXavier Edwards Clear number oneJacob Amaya no longer a serious prospectDax Fulton top five - he showed lots of potential in AAYiddi Cappe about tenTroy Johnston top tenKarson MilbrandtAndrés ValorDane Myers top tenJacob BerryPatrick Monteverde top 15Juan De La CruzJacob MillerAnthony MaldonadoJosh SimpsonWill Banfield top tenJancory De La CruzFabian LópezJavier SanojaKemp AldermanJosé CastroJosé PaulinoEvan FittererPaul McIntoshJosé DeversTristan Gray

Sixto himself doesn't seem to have any concern at all - and he's the one whose future is at stake.

Puk and Weathers are pegged as rotation guys right now (we are guessing). However, neither has shown the ability to provide effective starts at the major league level. If you are going to build Sixto up as a starter, that can't be accomplished by tossing a couple innings in relief every week. Call him an opener if you like, but let nature take its course. Let him go two or three innings and then let Puk or Weathers take over. Those guys are used to coming out of the pen. By May, Sixto might be giving you five or six inning starts. As asides, you've gotta love Sixto's mound presence ... total confidence. He works as quickly as any pitcher I have ever seen. His fast ball gets the publicity, but his slider and change are the knockout punches. Let him rock and roll.

Think Luis Arraez but add blazing foot speed. He's the top Marlins prospect. All I have to do is point out what he did last year at Jacksonville. 52 walks and only 30 strikeouts. .359 batting average and .429 OBP. Throw in an .886 OPS. Those numbers are even more promising than Luis Arraez accomplished in the developmental chain. And, as I said, he's a lot faster than any current Marlin.

I mostly concur with responder. How about Tanner Scott? He has to do a 180 these last couple weeks or he simply can't be used. Nardi has been ugly in his own right. My closer right now is the rookie Maldonado. After a bout with nerves in his first outing, he has been perfect. Other notes: Bender is hanging most breaking balls. Soriano is outstanding. I am here with told-you-so regarding Sixto.

In fairness to Bleday, he's outperforming every Marlin hitter this spring.

Rogers was excellent Meyer was pretty good, esp sliders and changes Nardi looked not so hot Bender hung about every slider. He will get clobbered if he doesn't find that pitch. Maldonado was real nice. Can't stand Bell and Burger at the two and three holes.

If things go well for Sixto over the next couple weeks, he should make the bullpen without a doubt. Bender, Maldonado, Nardi, and Soriano are sure things. Hoeing likely. Scott ... who knows. Puk and Sanchez would add up to seven. Alvardo?