how good are these Marlins gonna be? I know Hanley is gonna play like an MVP whether or not he wins it is another question, and Cameron Maybin might just win rookie of the year. but this division is tough, our pitching staff has to live up to its potential
it should be a very close 4 team race with us, the Mets, the Phils, and the Braves and here's why...
1.The Mets are still filled with question marks in the rotation outside of Johan Santana. John Maine is coming off injuries, Pelfrey put together half a season, Livan is Livan, and Ollie Perez is inconsistent as well. Also, while their BP is better with K-Rod and Putz on the backend, the rest of the BP is kind of shaky.
2.The Braves are gonna rely on a lot on Derrick Lowe and Javier Vazquez; neither of whom have been the most consistent pitchers over the last few years. Plus, they are relying on an enigmatic outfield.
3.After Cole HAmmels, the Phillies rotation is full of question marks. Brett Meyers can never put a full season together, Jaime Moyer is another year older, Joe Blanton is a good inning eater but not much else, and Chan Ho Park hasn't been relevant in years.
4.Don't even worry about the Nats, even with us trading them Olson (whose nothing special), they have no pitching.
Now here are my thoughts on the Marlins...
1.Emilio Bonafacio beating Gaby Sanchez out on the roster was the best thing for defense. Jorge Cantu is decent and 1st, but was atrocious at 3rd (combining that with Hanley not always concentrating, and Uggla being a poor defensive 2nd basemen and that's a reason our defense was poor)
2.Good thing we kept Cameron Maybin in the minors for another year. He wasn't ready last year, but he is now. Having him in Center with Ross and Hermida on the corners is the best outfield we can have until Mike Stanton is ready.
3.The BP is a lot better IMO as a whole. Gregg was not a good closer, and while Lindstrom may or may not be good, adding Meyer, Calero, Nunez, and Penn to Lind and Pinto really helps. Once Proctor is ready, the BP should be a strength.
4.Dan Uggla won't be a Marlin much longer. Love the guy, but his defense is atrocious, and Chris Coughlin is about ready.
5.The Rotation could be great if JJ and Ani return to form from their rookie years after the injuries, and Volstad builds off of a decent rookie campaign. If MIller also improves a lot (he wasn't ready last year) it's just icing on the cake.
oh and I forgot...
6.Adding Russ Gload and Ronny Paulino to the bench really helps. Paulino is a very good back-up catcher that can also hit so between him and Baker we should have some production from the position after the Black Hole known as Treanor-Rebalo. Gload can also play so many different positions. Those 2 with Wes Helms, and a healthy Fredo give us a good bench as well