Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins – the team that refuses to go away – continues to do just that. They too, are treading water at 5-5 in their last 10, but with the cards they’ve been dealt lately, that could be considered a moral victory.
After torturing the Pittsburgh Pirates, Christian Yelich has fallen back down to earth over the past week. He has posted a -0.1 fWAR over that time, including a 23.1 percent strikeout rate. His outfield mate Marcell Ozuna has fared worse, with a -0.2 fWAR and 20.8 percent k rate.
We knew that the Marlins would struggle to score runs without Giancarlo Stanton in tow, but we did not expect that to make Miami desperate enough to reach out for veteran Jeff Francoeur. Francoeur had an OPS of just .683 when the Marlins acquired him. No one will expect him to come within the same stratosphere of Stanton’s numbers, but if Ozuna and Yelich continue to slump, the Marlins will fade out of sight quickly.
Or will they? With the types of seasons that Jose Fernandez and David Phelps are having, this team might stick around based purely on its pitching. Of course, Phelps will have to show that he can withstand the rigors of his new role as a starter. Both carry K/9 rates above 12.0, so their raw talent could carry them through. Andrew Cashner will have to give the Marlins that capable third starter that they thought they would be getting.
Marlins Links Of Note
- Marlins Maniac wonders if the Francoeur trade was worth it.
- Don Mattingly agrees that the offense’s inability to score runs has put the team back.
We’ll wrap this up by looking at the dysfunctional team in New York not named the Yankees.
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