The Marlins are at it again

by Jeff Moore

July 23, 2013

 

The Marlins front office gets a lot of free passes, unlike their major league roster, which does not. It's not easy having had to work with limited resources in a terrible stadium for all of those years, and even after owner Jeffrey Loria got his taxpayer-funded palace and painted it like the Emerald City of Oz, he all but forced his front office to go out and spend money to prove a point to the city, even if those contracts were misconstrued.

 

The front office, consisting primarily of President Admin Beinfest and VP/GM Michael Hill, should even be generally commended for rejuvenating the farm system while getting out from under said contracts, and they have to be given credit for drafting Jose Fernandez, Christian Yelich and others.

 

But man, once they get the talent in house, they don't have a damn clue what they're doing.

 

I should specify here, before I get into their recent history of mismanagement and the latest false step, that it may not be Beinfest or Hill who has the final say in the decisions the Marlins are making, which appear to be largely driven by a desperate marketing attempt to sell tickets. We don't know the role Loria plays in the internal decision making that's taking place.

 

That's why I'm lumping the entire Marlins organization together here as a whole, because as a whole, they're run the way you'd expect a 16-year-old with a learner's permit to handle an Aston Martin.

 

So what have they done now?

 

It was announced late Monday night that the Marlins have promoted outfield prospects Yelich and Jake Marisnick to the majors and have sent rookies Marcell Ozuna and Derek Dietrich back down to Double-A. Yes, that's right, the yo-yo-ing of Ozuna has begun, despite the fact that he never should have been promoted in the first place. I need to take the lunacy of these moves one at a time.

 

Yelich is almost universally considered the Marlins' top prospect and one of the top all-around prospects in the game. He is a premium athlete with a great natural hitting ability and is undoubtedly their center fielder of the future. The Marlins, it should be noted, fail at understanding the concept of future.

 

You see, despite having had success at every professional level to this point in his career, Yelich is still relatively inexperienced. The only season in which he didn't miss time with an injury was 2011, and this season he's played in just 48 games. But Yelich has succeeded when on the field and has the best shot to make the transition to the majors smoothly. Not Fernandez smoothly, but as well as can be expected by human prospects.

 

Marisnick, on the other hand, is best classified as an athlete playing baseball, which speaks both to his potential and the risk involved in this move. While Yelich has a refined approach at the plate that leads to strong plate discipline, Marisnick does not, as he relies more on his athletic ability to have success. It's a testament to his raw talent that he's been able to post a line of .295/.357/.504 this season in Double-A, a promising sign for his future.

 

But have the Marlins learned nothing from their extremely recent history? So recent in fact, it's involved in this transaction.

 

The Marlins rushed Ozuna to the majors less than three months ago only to watch him flail helplessly at advanced breaking pitches he'd yet to see and get set up by pitchers he was unprepared to face. There are some similarities between Ozuna and Marisnick in that both are toolsy athletes franchises love to dream on but who require the proper time to develop.

 

Neither received time from the Marlins. Instead, Ozuna returns to Double-A the proud owner of an 87 wRC+ and a 57/12 K/BB ratio. Additionally, the Marlins wasted over a third of a season of service time on a player who could be a legitimate piece of the future of his organization but who currently served no purpose to his major league team.

 

In no way did the Ozuna call-up work well for the Marlins, yet they are attempting virtually the same thing with Marisnick? What's the definition of insanity again?

 

I argued at the start of the season that, even if Fernandez won a Cy Young, that starting him in the majors was foolish. Even as much as I loved Fernandez as a minor leaguer, I had no idea he'd be this good this soon, but his presence on the Marlins in April served them no good towards their future. In fact, it damaged it.

 

Sure, there's been the excitement over having a 20-year-old All-Star pitcher, but his success and the hype that's surrounded it haven't drowned out an otherwise miserable season for the Marlins. Was it really worth a season of having him under team control?

 

The same thing applies to Yelich and Marlsnick. We're passed the Super-2 deadline, so there's no risk of either one getting to arbitration a year early, but if the pair was held off until next summer, it would give the Marlins control until 2020, instead of through 2019, which will be the case if they never return to the minors.

 

Again, we're not talking about holding back major league-ready prospects here the way the Rays did with Wil Myers. This is a pair of young players who have just a half-season each of Double-A baseball under their belts. They weren't knocking on the door or even making overly impressive cases for skipping a level.

 

Both were having strong seasons in Double-A, but most organizations would have had them spend at least some time in Triple-A before coming to the majors, especially to help a last-place team continue to be in last place. The difference between calling them up now or later this season doesn't have much effect, but given that the Marlins would have been perfectly justified waiting an entire year to call either one up, it absolutely factors into the equation.

 

Yelich won't struggle like Ozuna did because he has a better idea of how to control the strike zone, but he also won't succeed like Fernandez has. And even if he does, what good does it do the 2013 Marlins? Marisnick, on the other hand, could be in for a similarly rough ride to what Ozuna experienced as major league pitchers expose a raw, over-aggressive approach at the plate.

 

Regardless of the on-field performances, however, the Marlins are once again mis-managing their resources. They have the potential for a solid nucleus in a year or two, but as we saw with Ozuna, rushing prospects before they are ready can have dangerous consequences.

 

More than anything, however, the Marlins continue to show a complete lack of a long-term plan or a window of opportunity during which they are aiming to compete. Like a fat kid in home economics who eats the brownie before it's fully cooked, the Marlins are basing their decisions on immediate needs and urges, many of which are based not on long-term baseball planning but on marketing and public relations goals.

 

It's no way to run an organization, and it's no way to handle this moment in a kid's life. I hope Marisnick and Yelich, and the rest of the young talent in the Marlins organization, find nothing but success in the majors, but much like the luck involved on a ball in play, success in the end result doesn't necessarily mean the execution to get there was done properly.

I think the article is pretty spot on. The Marlins are trying too hard to win in a season that doesn't matter to the point where they are jeopardizing the development and club control of their best prospects.

 

Beinfest and Hill are really insufferable. They are always too shortsighted in their decision making and make rash moves trying to win when the team isn't competing.

I agree with this article

I really think they're worried about winning less than 69 games. If they bring these guys up and win 70+ they can tell the fans the moves they made last year improved the team. Only reason I can think of right now.

I really think they're worried about winning less than 69 games. If they bring these guys up and win 70+ they can tell the fans the moves they made last year improved the team. Only reason I can think of right now.

 

 

If that's really their worry (and it very well could be) then that speaks volumes about their incompetency as a FO.

I get his point, but he can't even get facts right. Yelich is not our CFer, and Marisnick has more than half a season in Double-A.

 

Like he said, it's free for the Marlins to watch both play out the year. And I think the FO, as well as myself, believe this team can contend much sooner than expected if the talent they have put together finds relatively immediate success. Since they probably feel that way, they want to find out what they have NOW, not later, and I cannot disagree.

I linked this in the Yelich call-up thread too, some of it is a little harsh but it's hard to argue with the basic premise.

I think the Marlins are a little more patient with their pitchers (with Fernandez being the exception.) You figure they could have promoted a Brian Flynn or someone of the sort to replace Koehler, but they probably recognize that he's got to work on a few things (namely his walks) and will let him do it down in NOLA. For the hitters, not so much.

 

And totally off topic, but has anyone noticed LoMo's recent tweets? He's trying to get someone to share a place with his sister, said she needed a boyfriend and then posted her pic. This guy is fucking hilarious

I think the article is pretty spot on. The Marlins are trying too hard to win in a season that doesn't matter to the point where they are jeopardizing the development and club control of their best prospects.

 

Beinfest and Hill are really insufferable. They are always too shortsighted in their decision making and make rash moves trying to win when the team isn't competing.

 

 

Club control and arbitration years are pretty irrelevant to the Marlins. Not like they would make any serious effort to retain them anyway.

And if that is indeed his sister...not bad.

I would expect Yellich up. Marisnick should have just stayed down.

I would expect Yellich up. Marisnick should have just stayed down.

 

 

why? they're both top 100 prospects, they're 6 months apart in age, and their AA stats were pretty much identical.

I would expect Yellich up. Marisnick should have just stayed down.

 

 

why? they're both top 100 prospects, they're 6 months apart in age, and their AA stats were pretty much identical.

 

 

9 months lol. Not that it matters. Marisnick is 5 days younger than I am.

I really don't get why people are saying Marisnick needs so much more time over Yelich. Marisnick's 2013 has been better than Yelich's in AA. If it were up to me, both would have stayed down til September, either way.

I would expect Yellich up. Marisnick should have just stayed down.

 

 

why? they're both top 100 prospects, they're 6 months apart in age, and their AA stats were pretty much identical.

 

 

9 months lol. Not that it matters. Marisnick is 5 days younger than I am.

I really don't get why people are saying Marisnick needs so much more time over Yelich. Marisnick's 2013 has been better than Yelich's in AA. If it were up to me, both would have stayed down til September, either way.

 

 

 

 

I mean, stats don't always tell the story. I think you could see it in their approach at the plate just in last nights game. I forget where I read it, but someone wrote the difference between the two pretty well. Yelich is just polished, great textbook swing, waits for his pitch, etc. Marisnick is more of an athlete that's playing baseball. Just a raw approach at the plate, evidenced by when he swung through a couple breaking balls last night pretty awkwardly. I'm not saying he isn't just as ready as Yelich, but just that he's clearly not as good.

I would expect Yellich up. Marisnick should have just stayed down.

 

 

why? they're both top 100 prospects, they're 6 months apart in age, and their AA stats were pretty much identical.

 

 

9 months lol. Not that it matters. Marisnick is 5 days younger than I am.

I really don't get why people are saying Marisnick needs so much more time over Yelich. Marisnick's 2013 has been better than Yelich's in AA. If it were up to me, both would have stayed down til September, either way.

 

 

 

 

I forget where I read it, but someone wrote the difference between the two pretty well. Yelich is just polished, great textbook swing, waits for his pitch, etc. Marisnick is more of an athlete that's playing baseball.

 

 

 

... It's the article that this thread is about. :lol

I would expect Yellich up. Marisnick should have just stayed down.

 

 

why? they're both top 100 prospects, they're 6 months apart in age, and their AA stats were pretty much identical.

 

 

9 months lol. Not that it matters. Marisnick is 5 days younger than I am.

I really don't get why people are saying Marisnick needs so much more time over Yelich. Marisnick's 2013 has been better than Yelich's in AA. If it were up to me, both would have stayed down til September, either way.

 

 

 

 

I forget where I read it, but someone wrote the difference between the two pretty well. Yelich is just polished, great textbook swing, waits for his pitch, etc. Marisnick is more of an athlete that's playing baseball.

 

 

 

... It's the article that this thread is about. :lol

 

 

 

 

:dork

 

I've been reading a bit too much about this...

Go root for the Rays then.

 

I like how Ozuna, Yelich, and Marisnick will all have considerable Major League experience going into spring training next year.

I think the article is pretty spot on. The Marlins are trying too hard to win in a season that doesn't matter to the point where they are jeopardizing the development and club control of their best prospects.

 

Beinfest and Hill are really insufferable. They are always too shortsighted in their decision making and make rash moves trying to win when the team isn't competing.

 

Club control and arbitration years are pretty irrelevant to the Marlins. Not like they would make any serious effort to retain them anyway.Your last sentence is exactly why club control and arbitration years are VITAL to the Marlins.

Like a fat kid in home economics who eats the brownie before it's fully cooked, the Marlins are basing their decisions on immediate needs and urges, many of which are based not on long-term baseball planning but on marketing and public relations goals.

 

 

 

If this doesn't sum up the Marlins, I don't know what does.

Like a fat kid in home economics who eats the brownie before it's fully cooked, the Marlins are basing their decisions on immediate needs and urges, many of which are based not on long-term baseball planning but on marketing and public relations goals.

 

 

 

If this doesn't sum up the Marlins, I don't know what does.

 

 

Hell, forget the rookie call-ups, that's the entire Marlins 2012 season right there.

I think the article is pretty spot on. The Marlins are trying too hard to win in a season that doesn't matter to the point where they are jeopardizing the development and club control of their best prospects.

 

Beinfest and Hill are really insufferable. They are always too shortsighted in their decision making and make rash moves trying to win when the team isn't competing.

 

 

Club control and arbitration years are pretty irrelevant to the Marlins. Not like they would make any serious effort to retain them anyway.

 

 

That makes no sense. Wouldn't it be more important?

Go root for the Rays then.

 

I like how Ozuna, Yelich, and Marisnick will all have considerable Major League experience going into spring training next year.

 

 

Agreed.

It's hard to place blame on Beinfest and Hill because I don't think anyone is sure what moves they're actually responsible for. They might not even be in favor of calling up Yelich and Marisnick. Loria seems to have his hand on everything with this team. He's like a fan playing GM. But it would be nice to bring in some new blood. Maybe someone who is in favor of saber metrics.

I think the article is pretty spot on. The Marlins are trying too hard to win in a season that doesn't matter to the point where they are jeopardizing the development and club control of their best prospects.

 

Beinfest and Hill are really insufferable. They are always too shortsighted in their decision making and make rash moves trying to win when the team isn't competing.

 

 

Club control and arbitration years are pretty irrelevant to the Marlins. Not like they would make any serious effort to retain them anyway.

 

 

That makes no sense. Wouldn't it be more important?

 

 

 

To the fanbase, maybe. But I doubt the FO cares. Whether they get there sooner or later is of little consequence.

This service time bullcrap is part of the reason why I'm just not that into baseball anymore. Maybe that will change one day when I have kids, and in addition to explaining to my children the complexities of pitch selection, hitting in different counts, etc., I can also explain to them why the teams we are watching are willfully not playing their best players because why play them now when they can keep them in the minors for a better chance at having them on the team for that theoretical winning season they will have years down the line.