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Cepicky honing skills in Winter League

Outfielder expected to have a chance to start for Marlins

By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com

 

Unless the Marlins bring in a seasoned veteran, the left field spot will be up for grabs when Spring Training opens next month in Jupiter, Fla.

 

Switching Miguel Cabrera to third base now leaves the Marlins searching for a regular left fielder. A number of internal candidates are in the mix. One of them is quietly making some noise competing in the Dominican Winter League.

 

Matt Cepicky, a fourth-round pick by the Montreal Expos in 1999, has enjoyed a productive winter season while playing for the Aguilas Cibaenas, who are in the Dominican final round against Licey.

 

In the first championship game, Cepicky went 2-for-3.

 

Signed to a Minor League deal in December with an invitation to Spring Training, Cepicky hopes to get his career moving forward after an up-and-down tenure with the Expos and Nationals.

 

Marlins officials are familiar with the left-handed-hitting outfielder, who showed tremendous power potential coming out of Southwest Missouri State.

 

Marlins executive Jim Fleming was in Montreal when the organization drafted Cepicky in 1999.

 

"He's always hit," Fleming said. "He's a big, strong guy who has always been able to swing the bat. He knows how to play the game. He's a solid guy."

 

What Cepicky hasn't shown yet at the professional level is the power that many envisioned when he came out of college.

 

In 80 Major League games since he first saw action in 2002, Cepicky has four home runs and 21 RBIs to go with a .222 career batting average. With the Nationals last season, he appeared in 11 games and hit .240 in 25 at-bats.

 

In the Dominican, he is getting an opportunity to brush up his skills. He appeared in 12 semifinal series games for Cibaenas, batting .273 with three doubles, a triple and two homers.

 

A high number of Marlins competed in various Winter Leagues this offseason, and some are still playing while most are finished. Here's a look at how some of the other players faired:

 

Yusmeiro Petit: Arguably the most successful Marlins Winter League performer this offseason has been Petit, acquired from the Mets as part of the Carlos Delgado deal. Pitching for Magallanes in Venezuela, the right-hander posted a 5-1 record with a 2.01 ERA. In nine games, with eight starts, he tossed a total of 49 1/3 innings, striking out 43 while walking just eight before he was shut down. While not possessing overpowering pitches, Petit has the reputation of finding ways to win. That's been the case pretty much at every level he's pitched. He will get a chance to win a rotation spot with the Marlins in Spring Training, although he probably will open the year at the Minor League level.

 

Anibal Sanchez: A teammate of Petit on Magallanes, Sanchez saw limited Winter League action, appearing in 10 games with two starts. A projected starter, the right-hander had a 4.91 ERA while not being involved in any decisions. He worked 18 1/3 innings and showed a good strikeout-to-walk ratio, 18-to-6. Obtained from the Red Sox in the trade involving Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell and Guillermo Mota, Sanchez is regarded as having a high upside as a starter. He too will get a chance to win a rotation spot in Spring Training, but he may not be quite ready for the big leagues. It's not out of the question that Sanchez could be turned into a reliever with the Marlins.

 

Miguel Cabrera: As he has done for years, Cabrera gets into some Winter League action late in the season for the Aragua Tigers. The two-time All-Star played in 12 regular season games for the Tigers, batting .293 in 41 at-bats. He added two doubles and a home run along with 10 RBIs and 12 walks. Following the regular season, Cabrera participated in the round-robin tournament, and in 11 games he batted .333 with three homers, a double, 10 walks and 12 runs scored. Cabrera is expected to be one of the primary weapons for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.

 

Miguel Olivo: Signed as a free agent by the Marlins after not being retained by the Padres, Olivo appeared in 27 games for Escogido in the Dominican Republic. One of the Marlins starting catcher options, Olivo played in 27 regular season games and finished with a .200 batting average (18-for-90) with four doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs. His average, however, dramatically picked up in round-robin tournament play. In 11 games, he was 17-for-36 (.472) with three doubles, three triples and seven RBIs.

 

Eric Reed: A speedy center field prospect, Reed spent much of the Winter League season getting playing time in Puerto Rico. After his season ended there, he went to the Dominican and got some playing time with Escogido. Reed appeared in 11 round-robin games and hit .121 (4-for-33).

 

Matt Cepicky eh? :mischief2

 

 

It's just winter league stats, so take with grain of salt but hey we're desperate for baseball news here...

Cepicky's a good bet to win a spot on the team, IMO. At worst he's a servicable bat.