Tag Archive for: Garrett Cooper

Important Marlins Questions: Part 1

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With the 2021 MLB season starting in less than a month, the Marlins have a lot of choices to make if they want to compete. In my next three articles, I will detail my prospective answers to the questions below.

 

  1. Where does Garrett Cooper fit in Miami?
  2. Who starts at 2nd base between Jazz Chisholm and Isan Diaz?
  3. Who will be the 5th man in the rotation?

 

In this, I will be taking a detailed look at question number 1. This is quite the weird situation for Miami to be in. With it seeming more likely that Jesus Aguilar will be the Opening Day First Baseman, Garrett Cooper is left without a spot. Keep in mind, Cooper was top-3 on the Marlins last season in Batting Average, On-Base Percentage, OPS, and Slugging Percentage. At the very least, it looked like he would land in right field. The Marlins instead signed Adam Duvall, who will rightfully be the starter in right. This leaves no room for one of the Marlins best hitters. What happens now? 

 

Let’s first take a look at the most-likely starters in the outfield and why Coop may be out of a role.

Marte

Starling Marte will without a doubt be the CF for the Miami Marlins in 2021; however, it is interesting to note that Marte had a well-below average year at the plate last year (both in terms of his normal stats and in comparison around the league). Marte has been extremely consistent otherwise, and will most likely break out of his rut with a full season to balance out his game. He is an All-Star talent and outclasses Cooper throughout their careers in many categories. 

Dickerson

Corey Dickerson finds himself in a similar boat, actually, near the identical boat to Marte. He had a well below average 2020 campaign, but boasts strong numbers throughout his career. The last two seasons where he was an everyday guy were years where he was an All-Star and Gold Glove winner, respectively. In that All-Star year, he hit 27 home runs. His strong career average and OPS are valuable attributes to any team going forward. Dickerson has had a strong start in Spring Training as he continues to look like his old self.

Duvall

This is where it gets complicated. Believe me, I’m big on Duvall. I genuinely think in any other circumstance, he should be starting all 154 games. He has been an extremely effective power hitter throughout his career and shows no signs of slowing down. Yet, Duvall in right leaves no place for Garrett Cooper. Duvall and Cooper are both stronger hitters on the Marlins, but it leaves Miami fans wondering why the front office went this route. Duvall can do what Copper can do at the plate, and he has played the outfield throughout his career. So he wins the starting role.

 

Where do the Marlins go with Coop?

So, does Garrett Cooper platoon with Aguilar and Duvall at times? This feels like the only option left, but not an optimal one. If that is the value the Marlins are getting, he may be better off traded away for more prospects (bleh). 

 

The Adam Duvall signing was a good signing in practice, but in theory does not make sense unless they plan on pitching Cooper, Duvall, or Aguilar at some point throughout the season. 

 

Overall for Marlins

 

I fully expect that either Garrett Cooper or Adam Duvall will not be in a Marlins uniform at the halfway point of the season. Especially if either plays significantly well early, their value as a trade piece outweighs their value as a pinch-hitter/platoon guy off the bench. Maybe that’s what Miami has been planning for all along. Time will tell.

 

Marlins offseason

Marlins Moves This Offseason

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MLB’s offseason begins far quieter than that of the NBA. While basketball fans see a flurry of moves come the moment free agents can agree with new teams, baseball moves at a much slower pace. Although teams have been able to sign free agents for weeks, only a handful have done so. The Marlins started this offseason by bringing in a new GM, and this week, Kim Ng finally started making moves.

Marlins Offseason Starts with a Trade

On Monday, the Marlins acquired right-hander Adam Cimber from the Cleveland Indians for cash considerations. In 152 career MLB appearances, Cimber posts a 3.89 ERA with 104 strikeouts and 38 walks over 136.1 innings pitched.

Cimber, 30, works as a sidearm hurler and provides Miami with a unique look out of the bullpen. Although his fastball only averages around 86 mph, he’s generated good results as an MLB reliever, including posting a 3.97 ERA and 3.99 FIP with a 52.4 percent groundball rate and a 1.59 BB/9 in 2020.

New Marlins GM Kim Ng noted Cimber’s “very unorthodox delivery” during her media availability on Thursday morning. She also said: “He’s just a really difficult guy to prepare for as a hitter. That was one of the very attractive things that we found out about him.”

The Indians will receive $100K, according to the Associated Press. That figure matches what a team would fork over when making a Rule 5 selection. This implies the Marlins are looking to build out the bullpen with veteran MLB arms instead of looking for a diamond in the rough.

“We need some help back there,” Ng said of the bullpen.

Last season, Miami made right-handed reliever Sterling Sharp a Rule 5 pick to little avail. Sharp pitched in four games for the Fish, going 0-0 with a 10.13 ERA over 5.1 innings with three strikeouts. He was returned to the Nationals and ultimately assigned to their Triple-A affiliate.

Marlins DFA Jose Urena

To make room for Cimber, the Marlins designated right-hander Jose Urena for assignment. The longest tenured Marlin on the roster, Urena’s time with the Fish comes to an end with mixed results. The Opening Day starter in both 2018 and 2019, Urena never found the consistency needed to perform at the highest levels. He was certainly miscast as an Ace.

In 2020, Urena, 29, resumed his role as a starter after an ill-fated run as a reliever in 2019. He posted a 5.40 ERA and 6.06 FIP with 5.79 K/9 and 5.01 BB/9 rates over 23.1 innings. His season ended painfully when he suffered a fractured right forearm at the end of September.

Urena proved to be an innings-eater from 2017 through 2018, but never developed beyond that. He’ll be most remembered for his clashes with Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. The Marlins elected to cut ties with Urena rather than pay the expected $4 million price tag for him.

Marlins Offseason: Non-Tender Deadline Signings

The Marlins made additional moves on Wednesday at MLB’s non-tender deadline. The team surprised some by inking both first basemen, Jesus Aguilar and Garrett Cooper, to new contracts. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the Universal DH for 2021, the Marlins elected to bring back a player in Aguilar deemed be a leader on last year’s club.

Aguilar hit .277 in 2020, with 10 doubles, eight home runs and 34 RBI over 188 at-bats. His infectious attitude and joy seemed to help spark the young group last season. It was a solid bounce-back for Aguilar after a subpar 2019 landed him on the waiver wire in Tampa Bay. Aguilar’s $4.35 million one-year deal includes a $150K bonus for plate appearances.

Cooper, meanwhile, took over as the team’s main first basemen through the playoffs. After his stint on the injured list while dealing with COVID, Cooper returned to hit .283 with eight doubles, six home runs and 20 RBI over 120 at-bats. His clutch home run in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Chicago Cubs helped propel the Marlins into the NLDS.

Cooper’s injury history earned him some doubters along the way, including Marlins manager Don Mattingly, but he seemed to overcome those this season. That said, his $1.8 million one-year deal includes plate-appearance bonuses that could push his earnings to over $2 million.

No Real Non-Tender Surprises

The Marlins agreed to tender contracts to most of the eligible players on their list. Among them: third baseman Brian Anderson, catcher Jorge Alfaro, and relievers Cimber, Richard Bleier and Yimi Garcia.

The only player to be non-tendered by the team was reliever Ryne Stanek. The Marlins acquired Stanek in a 2019 trade deadline deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. Miami shipped reliever Nick Anderson and right-hander Trevor Richards to the Rays for Stanek and outfield prospect Jesús Sanchez. Unfortunately for the Fish, if Sanchez doesn’t become a frontline player, that seems like a lost deal.

Stanek came to the Marlins as a potential closer, but he never seemed to overcome injury issues. In 31 appearances for Miami, he posted a 6.03 ERA, allowing 21 earned runs over 31.1 innings. He registered 39 strikeouts and 27 walks, a 1.76 WHIP.

No Extension for Andy

The Marlins tendered a contract to Anderson Wednesday but not a long-term deal. MLB Trade Rumors projects Miami’s 27-year-old third baseman to earn somewhere between $2.2 and $4.2 million.

Anderson anchored Miami’s lineup for much of 2020. He played 59 of the 60 games and put up a .255 batting average with seven doubles, 11 home runs and 38 RBI in 200 at-bats. His sterling defense at the hot corner saw him earn a spot as a finalist for the Gold Glove at third. For his career, Anderson sports a .266 batting average with 42 home runs and 177 RBI.

“I personally would like to see how this year goes before we venture down that road, so I have a better understanding of who he is as a player and get a better sense of the situation,” Marlins GM Kim Ng said Thursday.

Other Marlins Offseason Tidbits from Ng

  • Ng noted the Marlins top offseason priority will be the bullpen. Miami’s added Cimber, but lost Stanek, as well as former closer Brandon Kintzler and late-inning reliever Brad Boxberger.
  • Ng said the Marlins will have an open competition at second base, pitting Isan Diaz and Jazz Chisholm against one another. The team isn’t beyond adding another player to this competition for the spring.
  • Ng also mentioned the team will look to add another bat to the lineup.

Don’t miss the latest Marlins Report episode on the Five Reasons Sports YouTube Channel! Check it out below!

Marlins Yankees

Marlins Make Playoffs With Win Over Yankees

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The Miami Marlins defeated the New York Yankees 4-3 in 10 innings on Friday night. The win, coupled with a 6-4 loss by the Philadelphia Phillies, put the Marlins in the postseason for the first time since 2003.

It took an ace-level performance from Sandy Alcantara, a clutch pitch from Brandon Kintzler and timely defense.

Prior to the Yankees series, Alcantara sounded very confident. “They got to fight me a lot,” he said of the potent New York lineup.

“I just want to be the guy,” Alcantara said. He wants to go as deep as he can in every game, establish consistency and attack the hitters. Each of those were evident in his start on Friday.

Alcantara went 7.1 innings, surrendering six hits, two walks and two earned runs, while striking out nine. He struck out former Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton three times. He induced three double plays throughout the game, helping minimize many of the Yankee threas.

 

Alcantara’s ace performance lifted the Marlins, who had lost four of five entering Friday. Alcantara was visibly frustrated in the dugout after getting pulled from the game with one out in the eighth. He admitted afterwards that he’d hoped to finish the game, but he respected manager Don Mattingly’s decision to go to the bullpen.

Marlins Bullpen Helps Secure Win Over Yankees

The Marlins bullpen needed to secure five outs, and although Yimi Garcia allowed a game-tying single in the eighth, they held on when needed. Brad Boxberger walked Stanton before getting Luke Voit in ground into a double play.

Marlins closer Brandon Kintzler came on in the 10th for a save opportunity, one night after his first career six-out save. Kintzler worked into trouble, ultimately loading the bases with one out. But facing DJ LeMahieu, one of the league’s best hitters, Kintzler induced a game-ending double play.

Despite LeMahieu being a great hitter, Kintzler knew he could get one of the best hitters in the league to put the ball on the ground.

“He did exactly what I wanted him to do, exactly what I planned, exactly what I had seen him do before,” Kintzler said. “The guy’s a great hitter, but that’s just for me a great situation.”

 

While the story of the night was pitching, the Marlins offense did just enough to secure the victory. Former Yankee Garrett Cooper put the Marlins ahead early with his three-run home run in the first inning.

From there, it was a struggle. The Marlins managed only three hits for the night and were 1-of-8 with runners-in-scoring-position, ultimately stranding seven on base. Jesus Aguilar, who’d flies out with the bases loaded in the second and stranded runners and the corners in the seventh, came through with a clutch sacrifice fly in the 10th to give Miami the lead.

Monte Harrison scored the go-ahead run but did so after scrambling back to third base on a botched run-down by the Yankees. All told, New York committed four fielding errors, including a crucial one in extras.

The resilience of the Marlins club was on display through the night, as it has been throughout the season. The win over the Yankees propels the Marlins to the playoffs for the first time since 2003, snapping the second-longest postseason drought in MLB (16 seasons).

Rays Sweep Marlins

5 Takeaways from Rays Sweep of Marlins

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The Miami Marlins entered their three-game Citrus Series tilt against in-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Rays, above .500 in August for the first time in a long time. They were coming off taking two of three from the Mets in New York, then working with the Mets to stage a walk off. Back in Miami, though, the Rays dominate the Marlins over three games, en route to the series sweep.

Here are five takeaways from the Rays sweep of the Marlins.

Elite Starting Pitching

Any Marlins fan would have taken a pair of games where the starting pitchers combined to throw 14 innings, allowing just two earned runs and one walk while posting 15 strikeouts. Sixto Sanchez and Pablo Lopez were dominant in their starts, but they received literally zero run support.

Sixto’s start was particularly encouraging, as the 22-year-old tore through the Tampa Bay lineup and demonstrated his potential as an ace.

“He was really good,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of Sanchez after the game. “He was in control all night. Used his changeup a lot. Was able to elevate. He gives you seven innings of scoreless [work].”

Lopez was nearly as good. He posted his sixth straight start of at least five innings and no more than two earned runs. That ties the best such start in Marlins history with Josh Johnson (6 games) in 2011 and Anibal Sanchez (6 games) in 2012. Lopez is one of just 10 pitchers in MLB to post as many such starts this season.

“I felt like this is the best Pablo has thrown,” Mattingly said. “He gives up the run on a Díaz chopper, just unfortunate. … He was able to use all of his pitches. His sequences were good. I thought he did a great job all night. He was really good.”

On Sunday, the Marlins welcomed back ace Sandy Alcantara from the IL. Sandy looked to end the Marlins skid and avoid the sweep at the hands of the Rays. Unfortunately, he wasn’t as sharp as he needed to be and Tampa Bay jumped on him early.

“Today, this is my first start,” Alcantara said after the game. “It was like Opening Day. It was a little different for me. My first two innings, I was too quick. I could feel it [with my] four-seamer. I had to calm down and try to make a pitch.”

Although he ultimately surrendered eight runs (five earned), Alcantara’s return means the Marlins are closer to throwing elite arms at opposing lineups every day.

Dormant Offense During Most of Rays Sweep of Marlins

Perhaps the most frustrating element of the Rays sweep of the Marlins was the lack of production at the plate. Veteran hitters failed to convert in key opportunities and the Marlins were shut out on back-to-back nights.

Before Corey Dickerson’s fourth inning home run on Sunday, the Marlins went 39 straight scoreless innings in Marlins Park against the Rays.

On Friday night, the team managed just five hits. On Saturday, just three. The Marlins were a combined 0-for-5 with runners-in-scoring-position during those games, both very winnable contests.

Mattingly lamented the lack of offense after Sanchez’s performance: “He gives us a chance to get on the board. We just weren’t able to get on the board for him.”

After Saturday’s game, Mattingly admitted the team’s frustrations.

“Any time it’s happening in a short run like this, it’s frustrating,” he said. “You know you’re getting good outings, and you’re not really able to do anything with it.”

On Sunday, the offense came to life some, but too late. Dickerson’s homer in the fourth made it a 5-1 deficit, but the Rays put up seven runs in the fifth. The Marlins did post seven runs over the span of four innings but couldn’t continue any of their rallies to truly threaten the Rays.

After the game, Mattingly said the offense showed “some decent signs. Hopefully we can kind of get this thing rolling and get back a little bit more of a groove as you get into this final month.”

Return of Garrett Cooper Provide Life

One of the bright spots from the Rays sweep of the Marlins was the return of Garrett Cooper to the lineup. Cooper went 4-for-13 with two doubles, a home run and four RBI. His bat clearly lengthens a lineup that has struggled at times this season to score runs.

“Getting him back, you obviously see what you missed,” Mattingly said on Sunday. “Coop, that’s the one thing, he’s always been able to hit. It’s good to have him back. Hopefully, we can get everybody going around that.”

With Jesus Aguilar dealing with back issues, Cooper should be a fixture in the lineup moving forward. His versatility to play first base, right field or DH provides Mattingly with a veteran bat to deploy in the middle of the lineup.

Unfriendly Confines of Marlins Park

Normally, teams perform better at home than on the road. In 2020, that has not been the case at all for the Marlins. The Marlins are 13-7 (.650) on the road this season, the fourth-best road winning pct. in the Majors (second in NL behind the Dodgers: 14-5, .737); only the Dodgers have more road wins. They have outscored opponents 97-86 away from home.

At Marlins Park, however, they’re 1-8, with eight straight loses.

“I can’t explain home, why we haven’t played as well,” Mattingly said. “I can guess at stuff, and I would just be guessing. On the road, you have nothing else but going to the ballpark. You’re stuck in a hotel. The only time you get out is when you’ve got to go to the ballpark. It’s the one time you have a little freedom.”

With 17 of their final 30 games at home, the Marlins will have to figure out these struggles quickly if they want to make a playoff push.

The biggest struggles have come offensively, as the team is hitting just .212 at Marlins Park. Miami’s home OPS is .568, whereas on the road their OPS is .711 with a .247 batting average.

Prior to Sunday’s offensive outburst, the Marlins had connected on only three home runs in Marlins Park. Sunday saw three leave the park, as Dickerson, Cooper and Lewis Brinson all connected on big flys.

Struggles Lead to Uncertainty at Trade Deadline

This Rays sweep of the Marlins, and four-game losing skid overall, has come at a difficult time for the front office. As Monday’s Trade Deadline approaches, the Marlins are below .500 for the first time this season (14-15), but they are still clinging to a playoff spot.

Being in the pennant race might dictate an out-of-character move from the Marlins.

“Traditionally, we have not been a team in the last few years that has been buying anything,” Mattingly said prior to Sunday’s game. “I’m not sure we’re going to be giving any prospects away to get one piece.”

The Marlins are poised to end a 17-year playoff drought with a solid September. A key contest looms against the New York Mets this afternoon, then 12 of their final 30 against either the Philadelphia Phillies or Washington Nationals. If the Marlins can win each of those series, they could end MLB’s second-longest playoff drought.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Marlins decide to move any of their veterans. Teams have called about closer Brandon Kintzler and utility player Jonathan Villar. The Marlins could also part with young veteran starters in Jose Urena and/or Caleb Smith.

It’s hard to imagine the Marlins giving up one of their prized prospects to rent a bat for a month. Unless the deal is similar to the one with Arizona last season (where Zac Gallen was flipped for Jazz Chisholm), it’s unlikely Miami parts with a top-end prospect.

The Cinco Razones Marlins All Star representative

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The Marlins still don’t know who will represent the team in the MLB All Star Game next week in Cleveland.

Caleb Smith looked like an ace for the first couple of months, and then fell off the table, and got injured, which opened the door to other members of the roster.

Cinco Razones Podcast in English made its debut on Thursday at Marlins Park with Tony Capobianco, and DutchBeek (stuck somewhere thanks to the Miami traffic).

One of the main subjects was who we think should be the Marlin that travels to Progressive Field.

These are our options:

Miguel Rojas

The Marlins shortstop is finally getting the opportunity to play every day and his work is showing up. Before Thursday’s night’s game, Rojas was hitting .276 / .342 OBP leading the team with 16 doubles, along with Brian Anderson, and among the best defenders in the National League.

Miguel Rojas: “Tenemos que jugar mejor en Marlins Park”

Harold Ramírez

Harold Ramírez arrived and started hitting as soon as he got the opportunity to play. The Colombian has been one of the good news this year for the Marlins.

He is hitting .315 (up to Thursday’s game), with a .351 on-base percentage, eight doubles, two homers and 17 runs batted in. With way more than 100 at bats less than most of the regular players in the Marlins roster, Ramírez has done as much or more than his teammates.

His two homeruns don’t impress anybody, especially among outfielders, but could make an interesting case as the best Marlin hitter so far.

Garrett Cooper

The Marlins stuck with Garrett Cooper despite his injuries and is paying off. Cooper is battling Ramírez for the best average of the team and has added some power to the lineup, with seven homeruns in about the same amount of at bats as Ramírez, and has the best on-base percentage of the team.

As Ramírez, his numbers don’t impress being an outfielder, and they impress even less if you put it among first basemen, but could definitively be a fair choice for the team in the All Star Game.

Sandy Alcántara

Sandy Alcántara has stayed healthy and seems like he is finally establishing himself as one of the core members of the future rotation for this team.

The Dominican has the second best ERA among starters this year (minimum 15 starts), with 3.51, just behind Smith’s 3.41, in 89.2 innings pitched, Marlins’ best.

 

Check out our first episode of Cinco Razones Podcast in English, in which we decided to pick out the Marlins representative for the MLB All Star Game 2019 in Cleveland and talked about the possibility of losing the Marlins in Miami if the fans don’t start to show up in the next few years: