Marlins Update

Just 33 Days remain on the Calendar until the Marlin's Pitchers & Catchers report to Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fl to Kick Off their 2016 Spring Training Season!!!

There's plenty of excitement regarding Baseball in South Florida these days. Of course the weather is typically gorgeous, but today we're experiencing a bit of a tropical storm. No worries....in a day or two, we'll be back to having the nicest weather in the Country (and it's January!....lol).

The Marlins have made a few necessary additions to the roster.....notably adding Chen to bolster the rotation. They've also signed Dee Gordon to a long term contract, and (apparently) decided to keep Marcel Ozuna in CF (although I have a sneaky feeling that they aren't finished making moves). Personally, I was hoping for them to make a run at Cespedes, but I do think that Ozuna has a Huge Upside, and keeping him might be for the best. I'll wait to compare salaries & results at the end of the season and decide.

The Outlook here is that, if Stanton,Yelich, and Jose Fernandez are all healthy for a full season, Gordon can continue to improve in the little things, Bour can adjust to LH pitching (or Chris Johnson continues to MASH in a platoon with Bour), and the pitching staff can limit the damage (yes, I am pointing at you, Edwin Jackson)......This team could possibly be fighting for a Wild Card Spot. Yes, that incorporates some local, loyal fan enthusiasm....seen through a pair of "rose-colored-glasses".....LOL.....but for those of us who have "seen these guys play in person".....It's not that far-fetched. These guys have a lot of "Moxie". They are a resilient bunch. They have some serious camaraderie in the clubhouse. They Believe in Each Other!!!

In addition, we're all hoping that the additions of Don Mattingly (manager), and Barry Bonds (hitting coach) will have a profound effect on the players BEFORE they take the field. Mattingly was an accomplished hitter in his playing days, as was Bonds (for whatever reason you believe)......but THIS is the test that will tell if they are good coaches or not. Mattingly inherited a $200 mil roster in LA, and couldn't bring home a trophy....but sometimes it's more difficult to deal with "Big Egos" than it is to actually manage a team.

I'm giving Mattingly and Bonds a "Hall Pass" to begin the season, but it won't take long to see if they will be what this team needs to "reach the next level". The tools are there......let's see what they can accomplish!

That's all for today!
From The (soaking wet) Bleachers......

The Montu Masters