The Florida Marlins: Contenders or Trade Bait?

As the All-Star break approaches, the Florida Marlins look poised for a run at the playoffs. 

With a young pitching staff, a motley crew of relievers, and a horrendous defense behind them, the Marlins need to score many runs to win.  The good news is that the lineup is beginning to heat up, batting .275 with a .335 on base percentage in June.

It starts at the top with Chris Coghlan and Emilio Bonifacio.  When Coghlan took over the leadoff spot, Bonifacio was moved behind him where his speed and bunting ability becomes more effective, especially when Coghlan is on base. 

Together, they are beginning to, much like Juan Pierre and Luis Castillo did, set the bases for big hitters.  Hanley Ramirez, Jorge Cantu, Dan Uggla, and Cody Ross have a combined 49 home runs and 197 RBI in the first half.

Ramirez is the star, and he is starting to get comfortable in the third spot (.333, 12 HRs, 51 RBI).  Cantu and Uggla provide plenty of protection behind him while Ross (13 HRs and 45 RBI) has helped replace the power lost when the team traded Mike Jacobs. 

The bottom half of the order is still being worked out.

Jeremy Hermida was once a top prospect, but he is being outplayed by Brett Carroll.

Carroll might be a better fit for the Marlins because he improves the outfield defense and team speed. 

At catcher, John Baker and Ronny Paulino have been splitting time, and the platoon seems to work.  

The pitching staff is highlighted by Josh Johnson.  He is quickly becoming one of the best young pitchers in the game.  At 7-1 with a 2.76 ERA, he might be in line for his first All-Star selection. 

Ricky Nolasco is returning to form after a brief demotion to Triple-A New Orleans.  He is 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA since being called back. 

Chris Volstad is having a tough sophomore season, and although he has plenty of potential, Andrew Miller still struggles with inconsistency.

Rookie Sean West is getting some major league experience while the team waits on Anibal Sanchez to recover.  He has looked good in seven starts posting a 3-2 record with a 3.38 ERA.  He certainly has looked better than Sanchez (1-4, 5.55 ERA) and might hold on to the fifth spot in the rotation. 

The closer role has been split between two young fire starters.  Leo Nunez and Matt Lindstrom have been allowing runs and hits in bunches.  Nunez has given up 27 hits and 15 runs in 33.2 innings while Lindstrom has allowed 35 hits and 22 runs in 29 innings.  Lindstrom is on the DL and won’t return till mid-July, but he may have lost the closer role.

Until everyone is healthy, the bullpen will look to Dan Meyer, Burke Badenhop, and an impressive Brain Sanches, who has a solid 1.62 ERA in 16 appearances.  Badenhop has been more like a sixth starter and is second on the team in wins (5-3, 3.70 ERA in 19 games). 

Tim Wood and Chris Leroux where recently called up to fill holes in the bullpen.  Both have very little major league experience, but that will change quickly over the month of July.  The Marlins will have to rely on their young pitchers, which can’t be a good sign. 

In the field, the Marlins have struggled.  Their .979 fielding percentage is the third-worst in the majors, mostly due to players playing out of their natural position.

Coghlan is a second baseman learning to play left field, and Bonifacio is a second baseman learning to play third base.  Both have had their growing pains.  Bonifacio leads the team with 13 errors while Coghlan has shown good instincts when tracking fly balls, but he still needs work on his throws.    

The outfield is greatly improved with Carroll in right field.  He has the speed to make the plays that Hermida cannot.  He also leads the team with three outfield assists.  Ross is an excellent defensive outfielder, and he has the range to cover Landshark Stadium’s spacious center field.  

The infield has never been the same since Perry Hill left the organization.  Hill helped develop gold-glove infielders (Luis Castillo, Mike Lowell, and Derek Lee), and this team could really use his guidance.  Ramirez and Uggla might never be gold-glove caliber fielders, both have seven errors, but the Marlins could never replace their bats. 

Cantu is better suited at first base but could share time at third if Bonifacio continues to struggle.  Wes Helms and Ross Gload provide good defensive replacements at first or third, and they have been solid in pinch-hitting situations.    

The team is still waiting for "Mr. Versatility" Alfredo Amezaga to recover from a knee injury he suffered in May.  He can play almost any position in the infield and outfield, and he is an above-average fielder no matter where he plays. 

The catching platoon of Paulino and Baker is getting mixed results.  Baker is the stronger defensive catcher, but Paulino gets starts when the Marlins face a lefty.  Both catchers are having trouble throwing out base runners and have allowed 80 stolen bases so far.  Good catching is hard to find, so Paulino and Baker will continue to split time. 

It is important for the Marlins to continue to improve in the standings. The defense has been a work in progress, but the offense is reawakening. 

The pitching is the key to the team's survival.  The starting rotation and the bullpen have been hit with injuries; if the pitching can last through the month of July, then the team will be in position to make a run at the playoffs.