Can the Fish Rise Up? Florida Marlins 2007 Season Preview...

In Southern Florida, the outlook for baseball in 2006 was grim as the Marlins were supposed to dead on arrival. However, the young team under the guidance of Joe Girardi had other plans.

The Marlins got off to a slow start, which most of the baseball world predicted; therefore, they were not supposed to be a contender. The team, filled with a plethora of young talent, came together and broke out in a big way. In light of a payroll that was less than what a few players make in the league, the Marlins nothing short of shocked the baseball establishment with their success last season.

The questions right now are will anyone on the team regress, and will they be contenders this season?

Well, to start of with, a few changes were made in the off-season; however, none bigger than the release of Joe Girardi as manager of the team due to personal issues with team owner Jeff Loria. He was replaced by Fredi Gonzalez, who hopes to have the same success with the Marlins that his predecessor had. During the winter, the team lost closer Joe Borowski, Wes Helms, Matt Herges to free agency and Chris Resop and Jason Vargas in trades. The team added veteran Aaron Boone, and received Kevin Gregg, Matt Lindstrom and Henry Owens all via trade.

Much of the success the Marlins had in 2006 was due to the strength of their starting pitching, and for 2007 staff will be the same as it was last season. The rotation should compromise of Dontrelle Willis, Josh Johson, Scott Olsen, Anibal Sanchez and Ricky Nolasco. The D-Train, Dontelle Willis was 12-12 with a 3.87 ERA, but was solid for the Marlins. He’s the ace of the staff at only 25, and with all things considered, he’ll probably improve on his numbers. One of the most electrifying athletes in the game, his presence will take this young team a long way.

After Dontrelle’s spot in the rotation, the Marlins have a bunch of young guns in the fold. First, Josh Johnson was impressive going 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA, and could have won the ERA title; however, he struggled towards the end of the season. Scott Olsen was another youngster who broke out going 12-10 and had an ERA a tad above 4. However, the Marlins should expect great things from both players if they keep up their progress.

The young pitcher that got everyone’s attention last season was Annibal Sanchez. He had an amazing year in 2007 where he went 10-3 with an ERA, and threw a no-hitter. However, it’s unknown whether some arm problems might impact his 2007 campaign. If Olsen can progress, and Sanchez can parlay his success from last season into the upcoming one, the Marlins will have a formidable pitching staff that could rival anyone in the National League.

The wild card in the rotation is Ricky Nolasco who was a rookie in 2006. He finished 11-11 with a 4.82 ERA and struggled mightily at times. However, he could be consistent in ’07 and put it all together, he’ll be a solid presence for the rotation.

Right now, the Marlins bullpen is in flux with closer Joe Borowski leaving for the Cleveland Indians. Right now, it looks like Taylor Tankersley will be the closer and he had a good year appearing in 49 games, winning 3 games and finishing up with a 2.85 ERA. Based on the numbers, he might be the best candidate to close out games to start off with. Joining Tankersley in the bullpen will be Kevin Gregg, Carlos Martinez, Logan Kensing & Randy Messenger. As well, the Marlins have a slew of potential minor league candidates they can call upon to fill the void.

Much like the pitching rotation, the offensive situation is looking bright as well for the future. Although the batting lineup struggled at times, they showed flashes of brilliance. While Hanley Ramirez won Rookie of the Year, Mike Jacobs and Dan Uggla were also contenders for the award. Miguel Cabrera also had an All-Star caliber year, and with him as the big bat in the lineup, the Marlins should be a force to be reckoned with offensively.

The infield should remain the same in 2007 as it was last season, as Mike Jacobs will be at first base, Dan Uggla at second base, Hanley Ramirez at shortstop, and Miguel Cabrera at third.

Mike Jacobs had a solid rookie year hitting 20 homers and driving in 77 RBI, however, he only hit .262. The Marlins can expect his numbers to improve as he gets more at bats. His defense was suspect, but he’s one of the few left handed bats in the lineup. Dan Uggla was also remarkable in his rookie year, as he hit 27 homers and drove in 90 runs and narrowly missed winning Rookie of the Year. The Marlins hope he does not regress and he can maintain the same level of play or perhaps go beyond it.

At shortstop will be the current Rookie of the year, Hanley Ramirez. He played in 158 games last year, stole 52 bases, hit 17 homers and batted .292. He’ll only be 23 when going to the 2007 season, and he’s got to the tools to go far. If he doesn’t regress too much, he’ll definitely be a future star in the making. Ramirez’s backup will be Robert Andino.

At third base will be Miguel Cabrera, who once again had an amazing seaaon. He hit .323 and hit 33 homers along with 116 RBIs last season. He’s been a huge power threat for Florida, and he may not be in Marlins uniform once his chance at free agency comes. It looks like things will only get better for Miguel as he’s only 24 and the sky seems to be the limit for him. Longtime veteran Aaron Boone will be Cabrera’s backup and maybe also be used in pinch hit situations.

The everyday outfielders will Josh Willingham will be in left field, Jeremy Heredia in right, and Alfredo Amezaga in center field. Josh Willingham was another young Marlin who had a solid rookie season in which hit .277 with 26 homers and 74 RBIs. In his first full season, he made an impact and though his defense is suspect, he’s a good bat to have in the lineup and Florida will expect bigger and better things from him.

Jeremy Heredia will be the everyday right fielder, as he only hit 5 homers and batted .251 in 99 games. He was injured and dealt with quite a few ailments last season, so the Marlins should see him as a candidate to improve his numbers. Alfredo Amezaga will be slotted as the everyday center fielder as he hit .260, but only drove in 19 runs. He’s struggled prior in the majors with other teams, but he broke through in a way last season with regular playing time and his versatility. The backup outfielders will be Joe Borchard, Cody Ross, and possibly Reggie Abercrombie; however, he struggled badly in ’06 only hitting .212 and may be sent down the minors if he doesn’t make the squad.

The everyday catcher will be Miguel Olivo. He hit .263 and displayed some pop with 16 homers, and was widely praised for the way he handled the young staff along with his arm behind the plate. His backup will be Matt Treanor.

This upcoming season will be a huge one for the Marlins and their organization. At the moment, no one knows if the Marlins will regress or not, but this should be a time of optimism. If the team under Gonzalez can recapture the magic that they had with Joe Girardi, expect big things down in South Florida and a possible run at a playoff spot.