FLORIDA MARLINS

 

Possible Lineup

1. Juan Pierre, CF

2. Luis Castillo, 2B

3. Mike Lowell, 3B

4. Miguel Cabrera, RF

5. Jeff Conine, LF

6. Hee Seop Choi, 1B

7. Ramon Castro, C

8. Alex Gonzalez, SS

 

2004 MARLINS

Possible Rotation

1. Josh Beckett, RHP

2. Brad Penny, RHP

3. Dontrelle Willis, LHP

4. Carl Pavano, RHP

5. Michael Tejera, LHP

CL: Armando Benitez, RHP

 

What the Marlins did this offseason: The World Champion Marlins - man, doesn't that sound weird, yet again - were basically trying to avoid the same fate as their other title team, which was to avoid dismantling it. The Marlins succeeded. Mike Lowell is back. Luis Castillo is back. And of course, Lenny Harris re-signed. OK, so not all the news is good. The Marlins dealt emerging first baseman Derrek Lee to the Cubs for youngster Hee Seop Choi, which will likely be positive in the long run, but not yet. Catcher Ivan Rodriguez is gone, replaced by journeymen Ramon Castro and Mike Redmond. Corner outfielder Juan Encarnacion was far better in fantasy than he was in real life, and he's now a Dodger, his bat ostensibly replaced by Jeff Conine. The only real move to the staff was a change at closer, where Braden Looper went to the Mets, Ugueth Urbina is without a team and Armando Benitez is the new closer. He could thrive in this new place, and we should remember Benitez is a pretty good closer, despite his playoff failings.

 

PLAYER RATER

Top Marlins, 2003

Juan Pierre, 33rd overall

Dontrelle Willis, 75th

Mike Lowell, 102nd

Brad Penny, 109th

Josh Beckett, 122nd

 

Are they better, worse? C'mon, this team won the World Series. Does anyone expect them to be better? Well, the Marlins were a wildcard team, and based on what they've got back and the likely emergence of a few players, this team could win another 85 games without much problem. Remember, this team has a wonderful, young pitching staff. A.J. Burnett missed all of last season, and now he's likely to be a factor. Dontrelle Willis will be in the majors all season and if 2003 was any indication, he could be an even bigger force than he was. And finally, we've got Miguel Cabrera penciled in to hit third in the batting order. He's not a rookie, but man, he's just a kid. Look back at Vladimir Guerrero at this age.

 

Spring Fantasy Sleepers: Assume that most fantasy players know all about the key Marlins hitters, but when they look at the final Player Rater they won't see Miguel Cabrera. Well, that's because he didn't play that many games in the majors. He will now. He brings third base eligibility with him - though he won't keep it in 2005 - and he looks like a lock for 30-100. He doesn't run, but should hit for average. He could be a special player for a long time. Based on Hee Seop Choi's 2003 stats, he's not likely a sleeper. That doesn't mean he can't emerge and be a productive player, but he's not forgotten. Frankly, Jeff Conine is a better - safer - fantasy pick. There are also those who think catcher Ramon Castro has 20-homer power in his bat.

 

Marlins you want in fantasy: Juan Pierre or Mike Lowell are likely the top Marlins to go in any draft, but neither are second-round picks. Pierre really isn't a one-trick pony. Yeah, he steals a ton of bases and might lead the majors, but he also hits over .300 and since he doesn't walk, that's a lot of at-bats with a high average. Lowell was on his way to 120 RBI before breaking a hand when hit by a pitch. He's a top-5 third baseman who might go tops at the position in some drafts. Luis Castillo is essentially like Pierre, except his position is far more favorable, and leg woes caused him to not run as much in 2003. He will run more in 2004. As for the rotation, Josh Beckett was the World Series hero and could be a top 10 starter right now. Just avoid those blisters, Josh. Brad Penny and Dontrelle Willis are in demand, and Carl Pavano is underrated. And don't forget about Burnett; he could be better than all of the other starters if his reconstructed elbow is healed. He always projected as a 200-strikeout guy. New closer Armando Benitez will likely be underrated in drafts, but could easily be a 40-save guy.

espn.com

at least it is not extremely negative like all the other stuff espn has put out.

85 wins?

 

meh

85 wins?

 

meh

this team could win another 85 games without much problem

its not as bad as you think KJC.... i think he meant if all fails 85 could happen

i know but i like being way over confident...

 

163 wins!

 

WOOOO

i know but i like being way over confident...

 

163 wins!

 

WOOOO

Did we go undefeated in the regular season and win one game in the NLDS?

Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. Certainly more objective than alot of what's been written nationally about the Fish in the last month or so.

 

Some of the more negative Marlins previews ignore the addition of Conine as an offensive replacement for Encarnacion and fail to factor in the potential contribution of a full year of Cabs.

 

If AJ comes back strong, and that's a big if, our staff shapes up as well as anyone's in the division, including the Phils. All in all it should be an interesting year.

Choi is going to break out next season in my honest opinion.

Conine did not replace Encarnacion - that would be Cabrera. Conine replaced H-worth/Cabs platoon in LF. Both are upgrades at this point.

 

And Castro is hardly a journeyman - he played for us after being acquired from Houston. And he is going to get his chance to start and yes, hit 20 bombs this year.

 

This review is solid because it has to be. It is dealing with the fantasy aspect of our players, of which there are several good ones. I think Choi is going to surprise a lot of people too this year, and even our new acquisition Oliver could put together a solid effort similar to Redman's this past season. I dont see how we couldnt win 85+ games at this point. If we pull off another playoff appearance, I want to see our FO commended. I also think the fan base is going to be very much improved....

better than a lot of things we've seen this offseason

Conine did not replace Encarnacion - that would be Cabrera. Conine replaced H-worth/Cabs platoon in LF. Both are upgrades at this point.

 

And Castro is hardly a journeyman - he played for us after being acquired from Houston. And he is going to get his chance to start and yes, hit 20 bombs this year.

 

This review is solid because it has to be. It is dealing with the fantasy aspect of our players, of which there are several good ones. I think Choi is going to surprise a lot of people too this year, and even our new acquisition Oliver could put together a solid effort similar to Redman's this past season. I dont see how we couldnt win 85+ games at this point. If we pull off another playoff appearance, I want to see our FO commended. I also think the fan base is going to be very much improved....

 

Jonny, I was using a shorthand and didn't mean it to be taken literally. Yes Cabs replaces Enc and Conine replaces Cabs/Holly, so I just took Cabs out of the equation and replaced Enc with Conine.