Fish Stripes LIVE: Marlins Talk with Craig Mish

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Speaker 1: Hey, Marlins fans, it's Elis Sussman here, managing editor of Fists Stripes. Thank you for checking out our podcast channel. As you may be aware of, throughout this entire twenty twenty one season on Fish Stripes, we have been doing live streams on the YouTube, Twitter and Twitch accounts. I guess at this point more than fifty individual streams, and we've kept it going even during these dog days of the season, even with the team's goals out of reach and so much frustrating stuff going on, we have gritted through it to talk about the hottest topics to previewing each series ahead. Whenever we do a special live stream, they're all special in their own ways, but we've had a few that have really stood out, and I believe this one that we recorded on Monday night was exactly that. If you missed the version of it live, if you just prefer this audio only format of it, that's cool with me too, as long as you tune in. That is greatly appreciated. We had a special guest somebody that is kind of a full blown celebrity in our small corner of the sports universe. It's Craig Mish from Swings and Mishes from the Miami Herald from Sports Grid, and he took more than an hour of his time heading into this Marlins national series too talk about the bigger picture stuff, to talk about the decisions the Marlins will need to be making over this offseason, of specific targets that he would like them to go after that he believes the team itself is targeting, and a whole lot more. He was in a great mood and he was able to answer pretty much all of our questions and so many that some of you guys submitted to us online in the days ahead leading up to the stream.
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Speaker 2: On this one.
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Speaker 1: Along with Craig, we had Ethan Bodowski, Isaacazout, Kevin Barrall, Alex Carver, Daniel Rodriguez, Noah Berger, and I was the one producing it behind the scenes. Without further ado, Just check it out this Fish Stripes Live from September thirteenth, covering all things Marlins and if for whatever reason you don't already, be sure to follow Craigmish on Twitter at Craig Mish and check out all of his work on Sports Greed, the Miami Herald and on the Swings and Mishes podcast.
00:02:23
Speaker 3: Enjoy already.
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Speaker 4: Fish Stripes Live on a Monday evening. Welcome in, everybody. We are very excited about this episode, as we all know. Today got the full squad here, Isaac and Know, Danny, Alex Carver and of course guess we've all been waiting for Craig kind enough to join us. Craig, we're really excited to have you. And how are you feeling about those gamers so far this season?
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Speaker 2: I'll be feeling a lot better if I think that they can win Saturday, that's for sure. So far, so good, though, you know, I mean, I don't know. Last game they slowed down, I thought in the second half, But you know, I think that. You know, this is obviously a huge, huge week, so I'll be I'll be locked into that Saturday. Is there anything else going on?
00:03:33
Speaker 4: Yeah, I know the mood in Gain so it's already kicking off for sure. But we're excited to have you. Before we get there, we obviously want to talk to Marlins with you, That's why we brought you on. That's what show is all about. Marlin's getting ready for a series with the Washington Nationals tonight, and instead of doing what we usually do and recapping and previewing and everything like that. We kind of want to make this the off season preview special in a way since we have Craig and that is sort of his expertise. But before we get there, Craig, just I think the first thing I wanted to ask you is just obviously it's been a disappointment, right. I think Moreland's fans across the board see this season as an overwhelming disappointment. So just break it down for us in terms of what the most you know, your assessment, what the most disappointing parts have been this year?
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Speaker 2: Well, I mean there's a lot, there's a lot. Uh, you know, I I think that most people will probably go back to the to the off season and and you know, and and and sort of have revisionist history and go back and look and ask why more wasn't done, uh, you know, to kind of you know, upgrade the team, and you know, you look back on it. And they got a pretty good player in Adam Duvall as it turned out. And you know, they did trade for Marte the previous July. So those were two nice additions there for sure. And obviously Anthony Bass has not worked out, but you know, for for me, I guess, I guess my disappointment lit a little bit in in talking to people that thought they would be good. So, you know, I think we could just go player by player and you know, essentially break it all down, which is fine, we can do that too, but somebody in the position that I'm in myself, is you know, having relationships with these people and these people who I like very much and being told you know, you know, we're gonna be good, or being told we really think that the team is good, we really have a chance, you know so. And you're gonna hear a lot of that publicly, but sometimes the conversations in private are not always the same as public. And by the way, if they said I don't think we're going to be very good, I probably wouldn't share that either. But I felt like at least they felt like they had a chance to compete this year, And there's some disappointment with that because I'm going to essentially go on board for the majority of things that I feel that they feel when they they make a good trade or they feel that they've signed a good player, I'm gonna basically echo those sentiments because the people a lot smarter than I am, and I like the people that work there, but it, you know, it obviously did not work out. And I think that's probably my biggest frustration is because here I was thinking myself truthfully that there was a chance that the team could compete, you know, I mean wins. I don't know how many, but a lot more than they had now, and certainly that didn't didn't fall in the way. So I know that's kind of the long answer without naming players. I'm happy to go through everything that you want here tonight. But that's my single biggest thing is because these people who work for the Marlins are are great people. They've been very, very honest with everything that they've done in this organization in the community from day one. But there comes a point where you have to as an individual start being more critical and saying, hey, like, you know, what was supposed to happen didn't happen here. And I'm kind of the one here that's sort of echoing what the belief is to a degree, and so yeah, that hurt. That hurt this year to see that happen in that way.
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Speaker 4: I'm curious where you kind of think it went wrong. Do you think they kind of overestimated how good the offense would be. Do you think the pitcher injuries from the beginning kind of derailed the season? And you know, they obviously said this was going to be a pitching centric team, and rightfully so. The organization's strength is pitching. But where do you kind of think it went wrong this season and where did it happen?
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Speaker 2: You know, well, well, I mean at the time, Anthony Bass did seem like a good signing, and I you know, when the signing happened, I got created. You know, I started diving into numbers and looking at creativity and maybe reasons why they signed him and the creative ability of the team. But look, this was you know, Anthony Bass had a better season than Heath Bell did ten years ago. That's sure he did. But you started off immediately with that same feeling at the beginning of the season, like gosh, now, like immediately the guy who's supposed to get out sid the ninth can't. And I think that's sort of where it started. And I think they started off one in six or one in seven the season, something like that. And so even you could start right there, like right at the beginning, because look, Oakland signed Trevor Rosenthal. They gave him ten million dollars that he never pitched in a game this year, so you can indict other teams too for making mistakes. Kirby Yates was another player that signed I believe with Toronto. I don't think he pitched it all, or if he did pitch, it wasn't much. But this was not the kind of team that if they thought going in was going to be playing in a lot of close games because their pitching would be good and their hitting wouldn't be maybe as good as the pitching. You knew that you were going to have to hit on that guy. You're gonna have to get that guy that's going to make sure that you can stop it. I'm not saying they needed to go out and spend more money. Like I said, at the time, I thought it was a good signing. I'd be the first one to tell you. You go back and look at my texts. Hey, I liked it at the time, but but that was not what That did not turn out well for them. So here we are. They're, you know, blowing games right at the beginning of the season. You're starting immediately to lose confidence that they can close out games and then things just sort of snowballed from there. As far as injuries are concerned, you know that I am the wrong person to ask about this because I think that's all nonsense. Every team has injuries, every team has issues. They were the only they were the only team in Major League Baseball with their number one, number two, and number three starter going all the way through the All Star break. All right, So yeah, they didn't have a four or five, but they were the only team that had the one, two, and three going all the way through. Is that gonna happen next year? I doubt it.
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Speaker 4: I doubt it.
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Speaker 2: So a lot of injuries, a lot of ineffectiveness, for sure, But if you want me to start, it's they They chose the wrong guy for the ninth inning at the beginning of the season and it cost them a lot of games.
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Speaker 4: Before I start going roundtable here and going around to the rest of the guys, I want to ask you one more thing, and it's just positives that Marlins fans can take away from this season. Right, So, I think a lot of people are really happy with Jazz. They're really happy with the pitching staff as well. Through your eyes, Hazu Sanchez coming on recently hit his tenth home run the other night. Just through your eyes, what gives you encouragement for twenty twenty two.
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Speaker 2: Well, it's the same thing that they that they preach. I think is valid is that they do have I mean, a little bit less than they had maybe you know, a couple months ago, with Pablo and er now being out, but they do have enough starting pitching. I don't know that they have more than everybody else in the majors. I think that's a little bit of a fallacy, but I think they do have enough starting pitching to be a contender if they chose to go that route next season with Sandy Alcantra and Trevor Rodgers, and then you know, honestly, they have four or five guys that they could probably choose from that would be viable in the rotation. I don't worry so much about the fours and fives on teams because that changes over these of the season. But really having one and two Sandy and Trevor Rodgers is as formidable as any team is going to have in the National League and even in the Division. When you consider the Braves went out and they signed Drew Smiley, he's in the bullpen, Surezer's gone. Strasburg who knows like they have Cinderguard hasn't pitched, The gram has been hurt. Every team's got issues, and Miami seems pretty stacked there at the top the top of that rotation. So that definitely gives me a lot of promise. You mentioned Jazz. Obviously, he has had a really good year, you know, I think that he'll have to build on that. We wonder if he'll be a shortstop eventually or if he's just going to play second. I'm not clear on that yet. So I think that's a massive positive going into the year next year for sure. And you look, Dela Cruz has played well and there'll be some optimism on him, as there should be for someone who's going to play well for two months at the end of the season. Jesus Sanchez has definitely taken his game to the point where you could see him being in the mix for a starting outfield position. And then you know, clearly Hazus Agalar, I mean, he had a he had a really good season. Uh for the Marlins. He probably would have had a chance to win the NL Batting orb I Crown and and that's out. But yeah, he's had a really good year too, Miguel Rojas. Everyone knows what he brings to the table. So though I guess those are those are the main positives. And then watching the kids, the kids that are pitching and the miners develop as most of them have, it looks like they're they're on that right path as far as that is concerned.
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Speaker 4: So you mentioned the guy, and first question I'm going to take from the group here is going to be Noah, because you just mentioned the guy. So Noah. I know you've been waiting to ask Craig about this, So go ahead and ask it.
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Speaker 5: Brian Day la Cruz.
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Speaker 2: What are what? Where?
00:12:45
Speaker 5: Where does he fit in next year?
00:12:48
Speaker 2: He's no matter what he does, he's earned an opportunity to go to spring training. He's earned an opportunity to make the twenty six man roster. I think that if he has a relatively good spring training, I think that he'll be on the team opening day next year. I would not say that he's earned anything beyond that. I've seen this happen before. You know, you know, I'm forty eight years old, man. I've seen this happened time after time. And year after year I kid around, but you know, there was a banner on the home play dugout with Pete O'Brien. You know, And I'm not saying that this guy is not that at all. He may be much better. But you know, Brian de la Cruz, if you told me that he was platooning to start the season, I'm fine with it. Okay. Cool. If you told me that they did nothing and he ended up being their starting right fielder or starting left fielder going into next season, then something has gone wrong. I think that he's great for depth. They need to look at this as a positive and pile on to the positive and not just accept what they've seen for two months. So he's he's been a really, really nice player. They're gonna end up winning that trade without a doubt, and it's been it's been a great development for them and and maybe the only player under this new regime that they've acquired and has hit immediately. I think he's the only one.
00:14:10
Speaker 4: Yeah, Kevin, I want to go to you because you know, you were fielding questions from the Peanut Gallery on Twitter, and there was one question overall, and it's the one question that everybody kind of wants answered. So your question for Craig first, you.
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Speaker 6: Know, first of all, thank you for doing this. Sure, I will go to the Twitter one right now if I find it. But you know, you talked that we you know, there's this trade that went down that almost went down. It was the Maxi Meyer one for Brandon Marsh. Do you think that's something that the Marlins would revisit in the future and maybe engage with the Angels again on that kind of a trade talk.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, Well, Kevin, look, there's there's gonna be a lot of other deals that are possible for sure in the offseason. I'm sure that they're still talking to teams about different players now. And and and I did report that at the trade deadline that that deal was relatively close. And you know, to what percentage chance? You know me with the percentages, you know, we'll say above fifty percent. Like, I feel like there was a chance that that deal could have gotten done. But I think that more importantly, Kevin, I think what people need to understand is that everyone around the league knows the position that the Marlins are in. They know they need offense. And I understand there was a huge reaction to how can you trade Max Meyer for Brandon Marsh. The Marlins would be taking a huge swing in that case, but they almost have to. There's almost no other choice. The other choice is Carlos Korea, and the other choice is Chris Taylor, and we know that's not happening. So what is the alternative to that? You have to give up something to get something, And all of these deals, and in all likelihood a deal that they make in the off season, no one sitting here is going to be comfortable with it. You're going to look at it and go, oh, my gosh, how did they give up this guy? How did they give up that guy? But they're at the point where they have to do it, and they have to try because there's no other choice. They cannot lose again next season or we'll be talking about a lot of different people working in this organization. It's just these are the facts. So they have to take some huge swings. There's no other choice in the matter. And will they end up getting Marsh? I don't know. Maybe this thing is too far gone. I don't know the answer. I can't tell you anything over the last month or so. If that's continued or not, I'll jump back in on it for sure this offseason. But they need to acquire in the off season a catcher and they need to acquire a center fielder. Without a doubt, those are two things that I cannot imagine them going into next year without. So I guess Kevin, the question I really think everybody has for Craig, and I'm sure you.
00:16:45
Speaker 4: Get it all the time on Twitter. How confident are you that gets done? How confident are you they find the catcher, they find the center.
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Speaker 2: Oh, well, the marsh I can't say that I know for sure, but I am confident that they will enter with those two with two new players at those positions next season. It may not be the players that you want, but I do feel they will. I and I think that they're gonna have to trade some of the young pitching prospects that they have in order to get that done. But what are they getting back in return for pitching prospects? Probably getting back hitting sort of prospects here. You know, it's like, we're gonna have a column in the Herald tomorrow about names that you know, speculating with no information, by the way, but speculating on a couple of corner outfielders. Is a possibility. We did center fielders too, but you know, Marsh would be the kind of player that we would not know if he's going to be good. But he's the kind of high upside swing, take a big swing type player that Jazz Chissem was when Jazz Chishom was with Arizona. Like you didn't know, maybe Jazz was a two hundred and fifty strikeout guy in out of the league. It didn't turn out that way. They made a good trade. Maybe Marsh's is that guy or somebody else doesn't have to necessarily be him.
00:17:57
Speaker 4: Isaac, go ahead with your question for Greig.
00:18:00
Speaker 7: You know, I guess regarding off season, again, thank you so much for doing this, Greer.
00:18:02
Speaker 2: We appreciate it very much.
00:18:05
Speaker 7: Regarding off season, we probably know they're going to go via trade to get to, you know, get those that catcher in that center fielder. Do you see them spending a significant amount of money in the free agent market or is it mainly going to be like the Hazy Santras type trades and the Jettism type trades in order to fix those positions.
00:18:20
Speaker 2: Well, I guess, Isaac. What I would say is like just in your opinion and so this makes it easy for us to continue because we can go a lot of different levels here. But what would you define as like spending a lot of money? Like what would you what would you say like at the kind of player that you would would say in a free agency. Let's just use that as an example.
00:18:36
Speaker 7: I guess you said Chris Taylor is not going to happen, So I guess a little bit more than Corey Diggerson's contract, for example.
00:18:40
Speaker 2: I would say that that's realistic something like that. I don't think that that they're going to spend one hundred I think eventually they could, but I don't think next year is a year that they that they will. There's a lot of layers to this too. I don't know if it was Eli or somebody else. Somebody had mentioned to me, well, because the thing is this is that if they're a team that's going to lose ninety five games, let's say, or ninety four games, how can you possibly justify dropping in on the team, you know, one hundred or two hundred million dollar player with the expectation is you need several players in order to compete. And then the good contrarian answer to that as well they can't compete unless they have those kind of players. And I understand that, and I think it's fine. But the other point that I would make here is that at some point you have to look back at the track record over the last four years under this new regime and under this new organization, and you have to ask yourself, in terms of free agents, minor league or Major league, who have they hit on?
00:19:45
Speaker 4: When?
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Speaker 2: When When Derek Jeter and Bruce Sherman and the ownership group go to their guys and they sit in that room and they say, Okay, show me all of the money that you spent, and where did we hit and where did we miss? Even if the guys were named Curtis Granderson and Matt Joyce, there are a lot of miss They didn't get any of those guys who all of a sudden became a player. And there are other organizations that are doing that. They are I mean, it happens all around the league. The team that I use a lot lately is Detroit. Like Detroit, see like all of a sudden, Detroit is like caught up with Marlins, Like how did that happen? You know, like like where's a kill badoo?
00:20:20
Speaker 4: Like I don't.
00:20:21
Speaker 2: I mean, you know, it's it's just they at some point and they've hit on the pitchers Anthony Bender in the last four years. He may be the very best signing they've had. But is that does that does that exude confidence that that the that the group should now go ahead and spend all of this money when almost all of the rest of the players that have brought in at a smaller level, medium level, or I mean, I guess highlot have not really worked out. And that's that's the tough dynamic that you have to ask yourself sitting in that position, would you allow it? Would you? Would you allow that you being a world you guys are just wanted to happen, spend one hundred million to it. I mean, if you were sitting and it was your money, would you just say, okay, I go ahead and do whatever you want. I don't know that. I don't know that I would. I'm not sure. So look, it's not to say that some players have not worked out financially. Adam duval I could do an hour on Adam duvall I thought that that was a really good signing, and I think it turned out very well in terms of his production for what they were looking for. But there need to be more of those. There need to be more Harold Ramirez. Is there need to be more you know, benders. There need to be guys that that come in Nelieis or Hernandez. Where are those guys that on the offensive side, like Dela Cruz four years one Dela Cruz. It just doesn't seem like another.
00:21:41
Speaker 4: You mentioned, Harold Ramirez. I know Eli's back behind the screen absolutely freaking out about that one. That's his guy. But Alex Carver, I want to hear what you've got for Craignish.
00:21:52
Speaker 2: Yeah, thanks, Ethan.
00:21:53
Speaker 8: Hey Craig, Well, I guess I can just build off of Isaac's question and what you were saying about players not becoming players, And this is something that we've all talked about a lot on this show and in private. You know, we know, and I'm sure the Marlins know that a lot of the guys that are on this twenty six man or forty man roster right now are not great major League Baseball players. They have don't have much of a future with the Marlins organization. So I'm wondering if you can answer this and just maybe your personal thoughts Why are some of these players still here over some fringe guys that they have in the miners or maybe even you can throw in Peyton Burdick, get a look at him. Why Why are these Magnari Sierra East sign Diaz like what al Fara? Why are these guys still on the roster and why are they still trying to push for them to have a future by playing them.
00:22:41
Speaker 2: At different positions and everything else. Yeah, it's a very good question, Alex, and I would tell you in their defense because I like to play both sides. In their defense, most Major League Baseball organizations are going to take that dollar all the way down to a PA until they decide to punt. I mean, it does happen a lot. This is not the only organization that will do that. You know, sometimes players, you know, they they don't have the financial value, they don't have the statistics, they don't have the war, but they were acquired by the regime and because they were acquired, they're going to try and maximize all of that. Especially with the draft picks too. That's another thing to remember. They're giving them a bonus and sometimes it's millions of dollars, so you know they're gonna let the They're going to make that kid pay for that bonus. But in the in the case that the players that you're mentioning now, I think it's it's something that is a flaw of of the organization. I think that they have They've taken it down from a dollar to ten cents, and you know, and it just keep and they just keep going down with no other with really no other end in sight with that. And that's not to say that the players can't go somewhere else and have a future. But you know, I saw Derek Dietrich punted, I saw Just Bore punted. I saw jt Riddle punted pretty quickly, you know. And the guys that you mentioned were all involved in different trades and they're with the team one reason or another. And I think the key to success with a lot of these organizations is being able to cut bait and being able to churn the forty man roster. And for whatever reason, this year in particular, I think even more than last year, Alex, I think this year has brought up a lot more questions than answers.
00:24:28
Speaker 3: This year.
00:24:29
Speaker 2: I don't understand some of the thinking behind it, but you know, it just depends on your level of trust and where you think this player may end up. But there are obviously several players right now, you know, who don't have a future and are just basically playing out the last twenty games of the season, as opposed to some younger players. The other thing that I would say is that minor league baseball players all pay attention to Major League Baseball organizations and they all talk. And so the kids who I think that you're alluding to, Alex, they probably talk amongst their buddies that are around the league and saying, hey, you know, the Marlins don't give these guys a shot. They're not giving me a shot. And then you know, come draft day, come signing day, when you're going to college and then the Marlins want you. It makes makes it a little bit more difficult to say, hey, they don't give it a shot. Maybe that's a broad brush on that, but I'm with you. There are several players who, you know, we're very nice people, nice guys I've gotten to know, but their futures are outside of the organization.
00:25:30
Speaker 4: Yeah. So while we're on this subject, there was one guy coming in and I'm going to get to Daniel right after this for his question. But the one guy I really wanted to ask about, and a lot of people I've been asking about, is Bryson Brigman, who's still in Triple A Jacksonville. What what's the deal? You know? Do they just not see the guy as part of the long term future? What's the deal here? Do you have any information on why they haven't given this guy a shot?
00:25:54
Speaker 2: Not ready defensively?
00:25:56
Speaker 4: Not ready defensively? Very interesting, very interest saying that's something I think a lot of us hadn't considered. He's having a good year offensively.
00:26:04
Speaker 2: But whether or not, whether or not you believe that, that's that's up to you. But that's that's what I have under have understood Alex Carver.
00:26:13
Speaker 4: Over there, But yeah, it's it's something.
00:26:18
Speaker 2: He's been okay for my eyes. But hey, I'm not in the organization, so more power. Listen. They they they see these guys a lot more than any of us do. And you, you and I and I always, like I said, I always played both sides of this. There's never black and white for me. I'll always see it. And if that's their position on the player, uh, you know, then then so be it. You know, I mean is Isan Diaz a better defender right now at third base then Brigman is. I mean, the Issan's played a pretty sharp defense at third. I think that's that's fair to say. You know that Brigman's not going to play second because Jazz is there, and so then the question becomes as a utility infielder. They clearly felt that Devin Morero's defense was was better than Brickman's. I mean, I guess I'm assuming this is this is what I've heard, So I can just only convey that it's it's nice to have an answer at least instead of just being left to whether we agree with the answer or not.
00:27:12
Speaker 4: It's nice to just know what they're thinking. Is because for so much of the year we've been left to just wonder.
00:27:18
Speaker 6: You know.
00:27:18
Speaker 4: Again, you mentioned Marrero coming up and some of the other guys. But I will say that the.
00:27:23
Speaker 2: Thing is is if they call up Brickman and he makes a few errors, you know, at that point they would pass the Twins for the most errors in Major League Baseball. And they don't want to have that title. At the end of the year, they already have the NL. You don't want to have the Major League one too, So maybe that's.
00:27:36
Speaker 8: Even real quick if I could just ask while we're on the topic, Yeah, Craig, if he is not called up to the Marlins this season, will they protect him from the major league portion of the Rule five drive?
00:27:46
Speaker 3: Yeah?
00:27:47
Speaker 2: I mean I would be guessing. I don't know the answer to that. It would be a guess.
00:27:51
Speaker 4: Daniel Ergus hop In.
00:27:54
Speaker 2: Hey, Craig, first I will say thank you so much for doing this. This is awesome for you know, the live stream you coming on. Problem. I wanted to ask simply.
00:28:01
Speaker 9: You mentioned Adam Duval just really quickly, just is there any justification for that trade they made with Alex Jackson because he's just been I don't know, not the best at all. Was that just a way for them just to say, hey, we got a catcher here he is, we got one for you guys, we're playing him.
00:28:18
Speaker 2: Just what justification could that? Even before?
00:28:21
Speaker 9: Because a Duval you mentioned, you know, has really been producing with his time with the Marlins.
00:28:26
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, this is this is a tough one. This is a tough one. So so you know the Braves were interested in acquiring Duval. You know, as soon as Akunya went down, they really would have would have liked to have him at that time, but I guess, I guess the Marlins at that time were not ready to trade Duval because they felt they were still in it. And I think that there were a couple of other teams at the time that that may have been interested in Duval also, But you know, clearly he was traded on trade deadline day. I think it was like I was on the air, so I feel it was somewhere time between twelve and two Eastern and I think that was it. So Duval is the real disturbing one because at the end of the season, he's going to be the kind of guy that they're chasing in the off season, you know, and it you know, I feel like, you know, I don't know what kind of chance they would have had to sign him, But they've gone to Sandy, and they've gone to Aguilar, and they extended Rojas, and they never had a conversation with Duval even about potentially staying. And those conversations are going to happen now with Atlanta and he's going to be facing off probably with the Marlins next year against the Braves. So it was it was really one that was probably the biggest head scratcher of the mall. You're not going to win every trade. I understand that. And look, they're going to win the Dela Cruz trade. So naturally when you bring up all of them, they'll throw in that and say, hey, we won this one. Maybe we lost this one. But the one thing that I do want to bring up here tonight, and I think is really important for everybody to understand, is that Miguel Rojas is the team leader and he's the captain. And I understand all of those things. I know him very well personally. He's a great guy and he's a really good player. But when players need help in that clubhouse and they need to know what's wrong with their swing, they go to the coaching staff. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But Adam Duvall is that guy, and Adam Duval was that guy on the Marlins. And so captains come in different ways and leadership comes in different ways. And while we all you know, certainly love Miguel Rojas and you know say how great he is, and you know, MCell Rohass is not hitting thirty home runs. When you need help and you want to go to your buddies, you're gonna go to a veteran who has been that before. So leadership comes in a lot of different ways, and I think that we lose sight of that sometime when you know, maybe Miguel Rojas may get traded. All we can't trade him. He's the leader of the team. Adam Duval was one of the leaders of the team. He was he was the guy that was their early tea work. Every single day. You want to learn how to hit, you go watch Adam Duval hit. This guy's gonna hit forty zero runs this season, and and it is it is so important to have not just a leader, but a leader who can show by example what you need to be doing. Miguel Roboss can show you how to be a professional. He could show you how to play the game the right way. Mcel ross can not show you how to hit forty home runs in a Major League Baseball season. And so Adam Duval's kind of the guy that they're gonna be going to trying to get. So why didn't they just keep them in the offseason. It makes no sense. His war is three point five, He's gonna have a four war. If Adam Duval was twenty six years old, he'd be a fifteen to twenty million dollar player this offseason. And that's my long answer. It was a bad trade. It just they should have been able to get more for him. Started that ball rolling a little bit earlier and coming to grips with maybe not competing as opposed to just at the last minute trying to salvage it by getting a player like Jackson. And I had somebody text me last night just you know, somebody in the league just with a huge head scratcher on that one. I'm a big advocate of Duval and he's not going to win an MVP, and he certainly, you know, isn't going to get on base thirty five percent.
00:32:08
Speaker 4: Of the time.
00:32:09
Speaker 2: But when you need a big hit and you've got a couple of runs on base, he can deliver a home run and win a game for you. And they have no one going into next season like that from the right hand side.
00:32:19
Speaker 5: So can can I jump in here for a second. So if theoretically, if the Morlans would bring back Duval and you have hay Sus Sanchez, and you have Brian day La Cruz, and you have Lewis Brinton, who would be your starting outfield next year.
00:32:37
Speaker 4: Well, hopefully there's another.
00:32:38
Speaker 5: Actually, yeah, yeah, I think I think if we're there, he would do fall count as that acquisition.
00:32:44
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't think Duvall is leaving Atlanta, but if he does, I don't. How about this one. Adam Duval is not coming back here. I'll give it. I've been wrong before. Let's keep in mind I was wrong about Adam Duval not going to the Brave first. Maybe I'm the Adam, not the Adam Duval whisper here. But knowing what I know, and knowing that the organization and how they felt, I take him back. Knowing how a few people felt about Adam Duval, or even less than a few people about how they felt about Adam Duval, he is not coming back to the Marlins unfortunately.
00:33:14
Speaker 4: Very interesting. Yeah, it just seems like that was just a matchment in heaven. And like Atlanta immediately regretted letting him go, and they got him back, and I can't personally me, I can't see them letting him go.
00:33:27
Speaker 2: He's he's a great defensive.
00:33:32
Speaker 4: Amazing, it was amazing. No, he was so impressive this year. But Craig, the next thing I want to ask you, this was a question I got from Fish Army three h five on Twitter. We all know Fish Army shout out to him and and this is a question I think a lot of people have. Who would be your ideal? So you obviously we know you're a big Jacob Stalingy's guy, but maybe in centerfield, who would be the prime center fielder you think the Marlins should pursue in the in the off season.
00:33:59
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, there aren't a lot of a lot of high end free agent options out there. But you know, I would be surprised if we at least didn't hear Buxton's name this offseason. I would be surprised if we did at least hear it because it would require probably a deal where they would have to extend him almost immediately, because you could not make one of those deals again and go down this road like you did with Marte. But that would soften the Marte blow. You'd just essentially be moving his money over to Bucks. Then probably a lot more too, let's be honest. And the Twins and Marlins have had discussions in the past about other players, and I think, by the way, those two teams do match up well in terms of trade. The Twins are twenty seventh and the majors that earned run average this season. They have to compete next year. I mean, this is, you know, kind of who they are. They like to they don't they don't like to take steps back. They like to take steps forward. There's some other players I think that they have that could be of use to Miami as well in terms of offense. So that would be one player who at least I would I would kick the tires on. And you know I mentioned I mentioned Stallings to a catcher, you know, you know, I was talking to somebody about this today. There's no reason why they shouldn't go back to the Cubs on Contreras. They really should, I mean, why not. The Cubs appear to be completely torn down. They're accepting all of these low level minor league players, and Contrera seems to be the only one they really kept, similarly to how Miami only kept j T when they kept Real Mudo too. Because the value on the catcher is tremendous. So I would I would if I was the Marlins, I'd go back in on Contreras again and see if they could acquire him.
00:35:33
Speaker 4: What about you know, catcher center fielder. So what about a possible Buxton and Mitch Garver pairing from Minnesota.
00:35:42
Speaker 2: I'd be I'd be even I'd be guessing. You know, yeah, right now, everything I'm talking about in terms of that is just me speculating. Ask me like, I mean, I have no information other than.
00:35:51
Speaker 7: That, or speaking of Minnesota, Craig, I think it was a couple nights ago you had maybe mentioned Tiza, maybe Eliza Hernandez Minnesota thing. I I think it's a foregone conclusion that he'll probably be traded this offseason, unless they just had to put him in the bullpen.
00:36:04
Speaker 2: But what are you hearing regarding that? Yeah, I mean there's there's I haven't heard of any discussions, but I know that the Twins were interested in him a couple of off seasons ago. And again I'm gonna have it more on that in the Herald tomorrow. But yeah, I think that he's you know, clearly, Hernandez is a great candidate to go to a team that is sort of building it based around you know. I mean, look, some people feel Hernitas can go three times through the order. I mean, I've seen him do it before, and he has had success. He's had a hard time staying healthy. But if he can roll together just three starts, three more starts the rest of the season, and finish off the season healthy, I can see a team taking a shot and saying, hey, look we got a good bullpen, we just need five innings from this guy. And and yeah, I mean, he would have to be considered a candidate at the very least to be.
00:36:52
Speaker 4: Moved for sure, Kevin, there was another starting pitcher that you wanted to ask about big moved. I'm curious who it is.
00:36:58
Speaker 6: Yeah, you you mentioned think a while back, you mentioned about the Marlins that they were thinking about trading Pablo Is that's still on the board, and you know what what he trade looked like.
00:37:07
Speaker 2: I don't I don't know that I mentioned. I don't know that I ever reported that they were thinking. It was on the spaces with takes. While I don't know what did I say. Can you remind me someone.
00:37:15
Speaker 6: Someone asked, you know if the Martins looked into trading Pablo the forty injury, and you said, yeah.
00:37:20
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think I think I had heard that, but I don't know that I had that, like like deep down toward the end. I mean, listen, if I said it then, then definitely I'll back it. But I look, I at this point, I he Pablo Lopez is probably worth more to the Marlins than he's going to be to somebody else. I mean, they're going to be on that phone with a general manager that's going to say, hey, this guy's been hurt three years in a row, like, you know, this is the game, you know, this is how this is how that happens. And so unfortunately the Marlins probably just kind of have to, you know, have to go back into next year hoping for twenty starts somewhere along those lines, because at some point you do have to come to grips with with him missing time every year. It's been three years in a row. Wait, did he did he pitch off last year? Healthy? Completely healthy?
00:38:06
Speaker 4: Yeah, because yeah, he was the only one that escaped.
00:38:10
Speaker 2: Yeah, twenty twenty one, twenty nineteen, I don't recall eighteen. He may have been shut down at the end of eighteen.
00:38:17
Speaker 4: Any any possible bullpen help, obviously that's been such a hot topic. You know, is there a chance they maybe move on from bass and try and start all over in the bullpen? Do you think they go out and maybe spend some money on the bullpen. What are you you know, what are your thoughts there?
00:38:35
Speaker 2: Yeah? They the bullpen money is always fickle from year to year. You don't know who is going to succeed. My guess is almost no matter what they do, their bullpen will be as good or better next year. It's just cyclical. I really don't get caught too much up in it. But you just really have to do your due diligence like they did with Bender and find those diamonds in the rough without spending the money. That I understand completely. You know, stett Weiler, who's one of my favorite guys, unfortunately did not work out almost at all for them this year from the left side. But then the trade for Richard Blier, I mean, he's a pretty solid guy. Seems like it's really worked out for him as well. So my guess is they'll go back in on the market. They'll attack the ninth inning again. But I would guess that they've not that they've learned their lesson, because again I was one that advocated for bass two. But I think I'll tell you the surprising thing is they chose a closer who doesn't throw that hard, that that was surprising that they didn't get a guy who could, you know, pump ninety six ninety seven in the back end of the bullpen. They got a guy that could throw ninety three to ninety four. As far as moving bats, I think they would have moved him at the deadline if they could. I think he's owed a pretty decent amount for next year, So my guess is back, and I think he's been okay in the seventh inning and eighth inning, so for the most.
00:39:48
Speaker 5: Part, everything other than the ninth inning, Yeah, yeah, Alex Carver, Yeah ah, I was just pitching and money being spent.
00:39:57
Speaker 2: Sandy al Contra, obviously he's been fantastic. We all know that.
00:40:03
Speaker 8: Coming into i think three years left before he's a free agent. Likelihood that a deal gets done to extend s Andy this offseason.
00:40:12
Speaker 2: Well, there right now is nothing. There's nothing happening, and they're not talking, so I can't say that anything is close right now. And also, let's let's keep in mind, the collective bargaining Agreement is up and so we're going to have to take a look and see what that's like. So I wouldn't freak out if nothing happens, like right after the off season. They may just be simply waiting to see what the tax is going to be and things like that. My guess, and I'm guessing is is around the five year, fifty to sixty million dollar mark is what it's going to require to get that done. And so if the Marlins are willing to pony up for that, then that's essentially what it would be. Very similarly to the Aguilar offer for an extension, this was just an offer that was not going to whatever. Whatever was offered to Sandy in the first place was just not even worth discussing or even going to get done. You know, I think Sandy wants to be here, and then I do think that he likes it here and he'd love to be here long term.
00:41:14
Speaker 4: You know.
00:41:14
Speaker 2: The other hard conversation to have, because like I said, I always play the other side, is that no one wants to hear it. But what could you get? You know, what what would be coming back in a deal for I mean, would it be a franchise changing deal if you were able to make a trade like that. I know, no one wants to hear it, but this is this is the reality of it. It's not the reality of baseball, the reality of baseball. For the Marlins, this is the position that they're in. They need several offensive players going into next season, so I would say it's probably on the on the low end side that they trade him. I would probably say there's like a fifty to fifty shot they extend him, but he's pitched his way into into clearly being able to get that extension. The one extension you guys would have to go back and look at it specifically, would be Carlos Martinez. I think that I think Carlos mart team as this deal with Saint Louis, I think somewhere along those lines would probably be something that he'd be looking for.
00:42:06
Speaker 4: Craig, I'm curious. A name that we've heard a lot and to me sounds like a dream scenario for the Marlins is Brian Reynolds. And I know that you reported there were some discussions there. The discussions, this asking price seemed kind of crazy. So has there been any development on that and just if you can how crazy was the asking price?
00:42:28
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm not sure exactly what all the players that were involved and what would have went back and forth. You know, I think I think the choice that maybe that they had to make was giving up like six or seven guys, or maybe it was going and just you know, giving up Sandy, Like I don't know, I'm not I'm not entirely sure. And I'm also not sure if if Reynolds was in the same deal as Stallings or if it just would have been a Reynolds deal. I guess the only thing that I learned coming out of the deadline is that that that deal was actually a little bit had a little bit more legs than I even thought. I thought that that was just a discussion, but apparently like there was there was even more to it, to the point where it's, uh, you know, all that reporting got me in trouble. But regardless of that, I think that I think that he's a great player to try and get and acquire. He was also the same player that was would have been in the deal had Gian Carlos Stanton gone to San Francisco, Miami would have got back Reynolds in that deal. So it kind of it kind of does you know, sort of add up that there's still something there. At the time, Reynolds was very young and and not a lot was known about him, not a lot of not was known about him by the Marlins. I don't think either at that time, but he he would be the perfect guy clearly to get. But it's Pittsburgh gonna give up their last remaining asset for just things that you guys want them to trade for.
00:43:46
Speaker 4: I doubt it.
00:43:46
Speaker 2: If I was them, I would ask for Sandy, I would ask for everything.
00:43:49
Speaker 4: After this question, I'm going to keep going around the room, but this is what I'm seeing in the chat A lot. There was news that the Marlins fired their international scouting director today. What do you know about it? And what can you tell us?
00:44:03
Speaker 2: Yeah, before you popped on because you're too lazy to get here on time, Ethan I said that. I said that I really didn't have enough on this yet. Andy Slater broke that story earlier. I know Seggie, I know Fernando Seginal. I like him very much. It's like a like a lot of the guys in the organization, but clearly there's some disconnect for how they're they're getting guys internationally. You know, everyone naturally is just going to point to Victor Victor Mesa and say, oh, you got Victor Victor Masa. That's it. You're done. I don't think that that is the case. They did offer him another position in the organization, so that tells me it couldn't have been that terrible. But my guess is for them to do this and not do it at the end of the season, they must have their eye on somebody else that they want to run their international scouting. So I wish Saggy the best. He's been very, very kind to me in the time that he was here. Previous here he was with the Yankees. I believe when I would go to Rogerdine Stadium for spring training, he's a really big, huge dude that would sit right behind home plate, always willing to have a conversation. Played with the Montreal expos I'm a fan of the person and and hopefully he find I would guess he'll find his way somewhere else. But you know, bottom lines, the Marlins must have their eye on somebody. That's the only thing that I can think of here.
00:45:15
Speaker 4: Yeah, I asked the same Victor Maso question. I won't lie about that one, Daniel on that one. Yeah, Daniel Rodriguez, let me get you back in here. Another question for Craig.
00:45:26
Speaker 9: I'm looking here in the chat and the question that really pops out front of the show. John Rodriguez was about Hissus Lusardo, where do you see him next year? Like that says here a triple A among lever Just what do the morlons having planned for him? Because he's just been really up and down, mostly down since that trade with for Marte.
00:45:46
Speaker 2: He's he's actually looked much better the last few starts. I think he's definitely shown, you know, more of what they thought. But what happens is on like social media, the people who are what I call the homers, they're only willing to look at the good, and you know, I'm getting tossed around and you know, oh well what I thought you thought Lozarda was struggling.
00:46:05
Speaker 6: What happened?
00:46:05
Speaker 2: You know, It's like you gotta look at the whole body of work. It's the same equation where I see these tweets about Sandy al contrac would have won the cy Young if he hadn't given up twenty seven runs to the Dodgers and Rockies. Yeah. Really, I mean that's kind of what baseball is. You give up twenty seven runs like that's that's the deal. So he's been good, he's been bad. Shaky early in some games too. My guess is the Marlins made that trade with Lazar getting Lozardo because they thought they were making other trades. To be honest with you, I think that's why they got him at that time when the world were they adding another pitcher for Starling Marte. In my opinion, I think that they thought that more was going to happen at the dead line than they did not, So I think that Lozardo factors in going into spring training. I think that in the first five when we start seeing them line up guys for the regular season, I would think that Lozardo was in that first five conversation. You know, you're one going into next year as Sandy. You know your number two is most likely Trevor Rodgers left handed, and then you have Pablo as the third starter. You probably have Lozardo as the fourth, and then they'll just figure out as the fifth. But as we saw from the beginning of the season, Edward Cabrera maybe is the fifth. But as we saw from the beginning of the season, you know the four and five is very interchangeable. Those guys are, you know, in and out throughout the whole season.
00:47:20
Speaker 9: I noticed you asked one more about that, just kind of it goes with the reliever part, like with Zach Thompson, like what they did with him now putting him as a reliever DC Lozardo. Is that and maybe your thoughts on having Zach Thompson, who was a starter now as a reliever because he was a little both in the minors.
00:47:37
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, I think that you see to see this is this is where the Marlins organization like some of the conversations that we have, you know about players and how they feel about players. Sometimes for me, the optics get in the way of the talent. And so as you've watched them continually play some of these players who we don't think should be playing every single day, you can be darn well sure that they're going to give Haes Los Lozardo three chance to start next season after being traded for Starling Marte. You can bank on that happening right now.
00:48:09
Speaker 4: Now.
00:48:09
Speaker 2: It may not work out, but we but but based on the way that they've done business previously, they're going to give this a very very long leash as starter. So my guess is he you could say he'd be a good reliever. I don't. I think that he's getting twenty five starts if he can make him next year.
00:48:26
Speaker 4: Isaac, you had a follow up, and I think I know where you're going with this.
00:48:30
Speaker 7: You know, I just noticed you. You didn't mention six though it's one of the guys for next year. I guess you know regarding six though Edward, all the major league gady guys, including Paublo, Trevor Sandy, which one would you say is the Martins would be most willing to trade for some talent.
00:48:45
Speaker 2: Well, you know, look, I no matter what Edward does. I mean, maybe this will surprise you hearing this from me, But no matter what Edward does, I think he's going to be good. I'm not really worried about him at all. I have more confidence in him than Lozardo. I think Edward Cabert is going to be a start. This reminds me of when Sandy came up. He was walking everybody. He couldn't get anybody out. He's too good. Edward Cobert is too good not to be good at the major league level. It may just take some time with him. So I'm not particularly worried as far as like trades go. I don't think the likelihood of any of those names that you mentioned is a likely trade candidate. I think they'd be trading Hernandez as you mentioned, maybe some minor league players and look Sixto Sanchez is I mean, is a dream to be healthy, But that's a dream at this point. You can't you can't count on that. I don't think I don't think you can go into next year making any assumptions.
00:49:31
Speaker 4: At all, Right, Kevin, let kitchback in here.
00:49:36
Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean the first question would be, I mean, I think ki Meg pretty much said that she kept the door open. I'm not going to quote he or anything, because I'm not I don't remember to quote, but she talked about possibly keeping the doors open for a possible Starling Martea reunion. What are the chances of that? I mean, what would have to happen for that?
00:49:51
Speaker 2: Yeah, it feels very slim, Kevin, and they had their chance, you know, they had an opportunity there to do it. They made the true by the way, to be clear on Marte, it was very very important. The Marlins have the money to do this. They have the money. They chose not to.
00:50:08
Speaker 4: This was a choice.
00:50:09
Speaker 2: They chose not to give him a fourth year and the money that he would have required to stay in Miami. So to say that the Marlins are poor and they don't have money is not legitimate. Like they could have done this if they wanted to. They made the choice not to. They're not going to go back. I personally don't think they're going to go back down that road again. They'll make the call at twelve oh one and you know, and say we really like you and we'd love you to come back. But yeah, they they could have had They could have had them, and now they're again chasing another player that they hope is going to be as good in the off season Craig.
00:50:41
Speaker 4: You know, on the Marte thing, like when he got traded, I was one that said, I don't think he's gonna get that fourth here. Four years deals are not that popular in baseball anymore. You know. Free agency has been really weird recently. But he has performed so well since being traded, and he was obviously great, well he was a Marlin. Is it pretty much guaranteed at this point somebody is going to give him four years on the open market?
00:51:06
Speaker 2: I would think so. But Miami could have also gotten creative if you were really worried about that fourth year. You could have paid eighty percent of that contract in the first three and he would have been an easily movable player in year four if that was the deal. And really, are the Marlin's going to be worried Ethan about four years from now? Are you kidding me? We're going to be five years into this, We're worried about four more. I mean, you know it's swinning time now. It's got to happen next year or the year after or really soon. And so I understand their thought process on it, but this was a dice roll by them, and some other team is going to get crazy this offseason, and without a doubt, I think we'll get the fourth year.
00:51:43
Speaker 4: Yeah. I was one that said no, you know, I was kind of helding out on that fourth year, but I understand everybody that you know thinks he was worth it. But Kevin, I know you wanted to get back in here with Craig go ahead. Yeah.
00:51:55
Speaker 6: I mean, one position I don't think we've really talked about has been first base because we have leaywhen the you know what, we all would be the future guy there, but we also have Aguilaar and Garrett Cooper. I mean, which one out of possibly aguilarn Cooper would be the odd guy out. I mean, assuming most likely it's Cooper, just because we assume we get the National League DH, and then Aguilar would step into that role and Laywan would be at first. So you know, is there a chance that possibly Cooper gets traded or they just keep him on the roster.
00:52:20
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it's a good question, Kevin, because thus far, Leywan has nothing left to prove in Triple A, but he's yet to hit at all in the major leagues. We know he can defend, he's going to be an elite defender, but he just hasn't hit. So we didn't really get enough time to see him to know. I suppose we have a couple of weeks left, but that's not really going to determine. I would hope it wouldn't determine one way or the other. Cooper can hit. I mean, we know this. I mean it's you know, if the DH is there, you know, I would not trade Cooper. I would play him at DH one hundred and fifty games if I could. I've been very very adamant about him being DH and hitting thirty forty home runs. You look, I think Ops is going to be higher than anybody on the Marlins at the end of the season. And then and look, Aguilar is now a little interesting as well.
00:53:09
Speaker 4: You know.
00:53:10
Speaker 2: I'll have more on that tomorrow. But yeah, I mean he's hurt, you know, so I don't know, you know, what the situation is going to be. He's a great guy, very fun, great to be you know around in the clubhouse, one of those guys that can give you hitting instruction too, very important for a young team to have those players as well. So I don't really have the answer. I would think all three can't be back, but the financial route tells you that they would keep Laywinning Cooper, and then the production route would tell you just keep Aguilar and Cooper, you know, just keep both guys and then worry about Laywin down the road. So I don't have a clear answer for what they're going to do there. They didn't really have a clear answer going into this year.
00:53:53
Speaker 4: We're why now we've got about ten minutes until game time, And since you're here, Craig, I do want to get you into our prediction segment because we love predictions. Right here, Noah, one more question. I was going to ask if anybody had one more question, and then I'm going to ask a question to end it, and then we'll get into a prediction. So no, I'll go ahead.
00:54:09
Speaker 5: So I have a question from somebody in Uh, let's go fish discord. Since the the free agent off outfield market is weaker than the infield market, if a trade doesn't get made and Brian Anderson can be healthy, could there be a discussion to move Brian Anderson back to right field and sign a third baseman like Kyle Seeger, Chris Bryant or Nolan Eronato.
00:54:35
Speaker 2: Aeronado's with with Saint Louis forever, but the other two guys, I don't I don't see that happening. Uh, you know Anderson, I mean I suppose that. I mean, isn't he He's going to be having and he's having surgery, uh, you know, on his shoulder. I can't imagine them them tinkering or moving anything with him. I mean, he's going to be questionable, I think going into spring training, by the way, so uh, you know, I I think the odds they are pretty good that they bring in someone to hold the fourth down in February and March, and they'll probably hope that Anderson's ready for opening day, but he's gonna obviously be a little bit of a question mark I think going into the season. But no, I don't think they'll sign Chris Bryant or who was the other one, Kyle Kyle Seger. I mean that's not impossible. Maybe Kyle Seger, but you know, look, it's anything is possible. They've put a catcher in left field, so certainly.
00:55:26
Speaker 5: Don't even get me started.
00:55:28
Speaker 4: Yeah, we all have one while you're on this side real quick.
00:55:31
Speaker 8: Ethan is on Brian Anderson. This I think is pretty concerning. This is how many times he's had this same injury to this same shoulder, right, I mean, I know it's not his throwing arm or anything, but two years left to control.
00:55:45
Speaker 2: Kim An kind of had a weird answer.
00:55:46
Speaker 8: I know you were there for this when she was asked preseason about what's to Brian Anderson extensionly like, oh, I have to get to know the player or something to that regard, without directly quoting her, but yeah, his future with the Marlins.
00:55:57
Speaker 2: Tell us about that. Kim Mang had a weird answer, Are you sure.
00:56:04
Speaker 4: Really so?
00:56:06
Speaker 3: Uh?
00:56:06
Speaker 2: Yeah, I highly doubt they're gonna give Brian Anderson any kind of or offer any kind of long term extension with with with his with his injury, and in terms of moving him, they'd be moving him for twenty cents on the dollar. They're not. I don't think they're going to do that as well. So he has an opportunity personally to go out next year, play one hundred and fifty games, hit twenty home runs, be the guy he was two years ago, refuse to sign anything long term and then leave in two years and then to me, it seems the most plausible for him at this point. They chose not to go to him when they could have and sign him. And he's got a family and he's got a life to live too, so he's probably gonna want to prove it to himself next year too. So I don't know. I just see him back playing third, hopefully opening.
00:56:51
Speaker 4: Day, Kevin last one and that I've got a kind of round up question more as well.
00:56:56
Speaker 6: Okay, is there any like possibilities that the Marlins maybe go after guy like Craig Kimberrell, mean like on a one year deal supposedly, mean, what would the chances be of a guy like Craig Kimbroll, who's on the White Sox right now, probably sharing the the closure role with Lim HENDRICKX. I mean, and putting in Kimberle would really I think solidify the bullpen. It would help it a lot because it'll solidify the closure role and it would get a guy who I think would all be a lot more confident in than a Dylan Floor you know right now.
00:57:22
Speaker 2: Yeah, I thought that's who they should have gotten in the off season. He was a giveaway player by the Cubs, but you know he did not go that route. So Kimberl, you know, this is this is not one of those like just simple conversations because Craig Kimberrell is I mean, maybe ken Lee Jansen and then Kimberl being in Chapman Like those are the three closers of the last decade that have been as good or better than anybody else. I think this is a Kimberl choice. You know, where does he want to play to finish out? Would Miami be on that list? I don't know, you know, like he was an Atlanta guy and then and then he went to the Cubs. I mean, looking at Miami situation, is that one that he'd want to take on. Also, you know, one year deal. In the back of your mind, what if they're not good? Are they going to trade me? Those are things that go into you know, that conversation as well. So I could see him on it on a contender. I don't know. I don't I don't feel like it's a fit.
00:58:16
Speaker 4: But we'll see Isaac go ahead.
00:58:19
Speaker 7: Uh so, Craig, you know this is we're getting into year five, right, And if I'm not mistaken, I believe it was a five year contract for Derek Jeter, you know, five years twenty five million. If things go south again or what are the changes? And hopefully let's say, if they don't go.
00:58:33
Speaker 2: South, what would be a successful season in your book?
00:58:35
Speaker 7: And then Derek Jeter's book of like, you know, how many wins would would that need to take?
00:58:39
Speaker 2: But if things do go south, what's.
00:58:41
Speaker 4: The deal with That's a that's a loaded question with.
00:58:44
Speaker 7: Jeter, you know, five years, twenty five million, it's his last year of his contract.
00:58:47
Speaker 2: Let's let's play, you know, let's say things go really bad right here. Yeah, you know, that's a great question. I don't know the answer to that. I don't know the answer to that. I don't. As far as I know, this is still the last year of that deal. You can't. You can say that that they've done phenomenal things in the community, they've done great things in the Dominican Republic, They've built the farm system back. You can say all those things. Those things are all true. But the one thing, Isaac, that I think that no that we've we've just stopped talking about it because it's it's like vomit inducing to talk about. But it is, in the end, the truth. They're still not putting fans in that place that was part of this, and I can't. I can't see a positive end to this unless that changes. And I know part a lot of it is winning. I get it. And I know that Derek has made some comments that the kids, you know, they don't they don't really care. They just want to see the game. It doesn't really matter, you know, you know, they don't even know the score. I think you said maybe sometimes or something like that. The other thing they did was they built that thing in the outfield with this millennial thing. I have no idea what even what that was whatever, but you know, it's it's it's it's a tough question for me to answer because I simply don't know. I don't know where his mind is on all this. Does he want to be in this, I think he does, But does he want to be in this for the for the long haul after next year? I really don't know. I don't know the answer, but I but I've said this before, I'll say it again. Massive changes would have to happen if we saw something similar to this year, and I think that anything would go at that point next year, anything would go from the top to the bottom. I could see anything happening. So I really don't have a great answer for that, but it is a really good question.
01:00:39
Speaker 7: I think they really thought, I'm sorry, Ethan, they really thought that people are gonna start coming to the games solely based on the fact that the old regime was gone, that Samson was no longer there.
01:00:47
Speaker 2: They did they really think that was gonna happen? No, No, But but I think that the word that they use is fairs. They wanted to build trust with the community. They've been successful left that they're great people. I really like the people that work for the organization. Pandem.
01:01:00
Speaker 6: I'm a kid.
01:01:00
Speaker 2: Yes, you can throw that in there. Is you know a little bit of you know, an excuse last year. I look, all of that is definitely possible, but you know you cannot expect to be I'll say this, you can't expect to be eight to ten games under five hundred. I don't think at this time next year and expect fans to be going. We've shifted our focus over to football, like we know how this works, and then basketball is at the beginning of the season. The only way is going to be winning or figuring out what the secret is to get more creative. Look, I am no marketing expert. I've said the same thing all along, and I've told people. I've told people this in the organization and I don't know if it would work or not. But if it was me from day one, the first thing that I would have done as the CEO and owed or whatever the organization is, there would not be a child in South Florida wouldever have to pay for a ticket to go see a Marlins game ever. Again, I would have let them all in for free all the time, have them, tell their friends, have them grow up, go to all the games for free, tell their buddies, how do they get into the game? Their parents got to take them, They got to spend the money. That's the only way they could get there. Let them all in like they've done in a couple of other cities, twelve and under, and you get your concessions. And yeah, there's gonna be kids running around like crazy at the ballpark. But that's how you build a fan base. They are just at such a disadvantage. There's at such a disadvantage with the other other places. The answer was never building it for millennials, No disrespect intended, but millennials are still not going to the games. They're not coming at home. They're on their phone, you know. Like you know, my son is nine, he like watches like this is how I know what's going on with the Marlins, because he tells me every single day. Oh it is oh Dela Cruz, Oh he made a great catch, all got over his head. Oh you know what. This is how I'm finding out to build your fan base with the with the ones who are going to be here in five ten years from now, not the ones who are not going to care anyway. And you know, look, there's been some made about Brower too, and and to me that was a little bit foolish from the beginning, just kind of dismissing that idea. But that was you know, if you go back and you look at their season ticket fan base back in the old ballpark, which by the way, was very low, a lot of it was Broward And they did change the games to six forty East. I know some people don't like that. I think that was a positive. But twelve year old under no kid would ever pay again. And in five years all those kids who were going for free are going to be adults paying to the games. Hypothetically, at least, that would be what I would do.
01:03:22
Speaker 5: I do think they have to make this stadium more accessible, more easily, more easy to get to, Like there has to be more options to get to the game other than just driving your car, taking the bus or taking Uber. Yeah, I mean, I don't know, I have a pretty part Ivy line or something.
01:03:39
Speaker 2: I mean, no, I have a pretty easy time getting in and out of there.
01:03:42
Speaker 4: Man, Like I because a lot of people come I live.
01:03:48
Speaker 2: I live in Broward County, I live in Hollywood and and and you know a lot of times I'm leaving the game at the same time as everybody else, or just after, or just before. And I I mean, I think the traffic thing is a little bit of a fallacy. To be honest with you, I don't think that that's really it. I think they got to get creative as to the people that they're bringing to the park, the people who live around the little havana in the stadium. It's been proven they're not coming coming. It's not happening. Go out get the other people, all.
01:04:20
Speaker 4: Right, the last thing I want to get you out of here on it's kind of bouncing off of Isaac's So Derek Jeter, right, he just went into the Hall of Fame. He's the captain, he's a four or five time World Series champion. He can't accept losing for this long. I feel like, and you've said this before, I've heard you say this before, that at some point he's going to try and make the change. How confident do you feel that in twenty twenty two this will be an improve ball club.
01:04:46
Speaker 2: Listen, you know they like to use the same lines. I'm going to use the same lines just like on their behalf. I can be optimistic or yeah, I can be optimistic, but I cannot be confident. I cannot be confident based on what I've seen, I cannot I can hope. I can hope that that next year that they're going to do it. But but looking at this roster right now and where they are at this moment, how can I possibly be confident that they're going to win eighty games next season. It's amazing that people are satisfied with that. By the way, maybe they should lose every game the rest of the season so they can be plus thirty next year. Like what I mean five years of being under five hundred is okay? Or one year they were over I guess last year. But I'm optimistic because that's that's where I'll be. I need them to be good for me, for you, for my podcast or things that I do.
01:05:32
Speaker 4: I would like them to be good.
01:05:33
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm like, I'm so negative now because they're losing a million games. It's not what I want, is what it is. It's what it is.
01:05:42
Speaker 4: It would make some of those it would make some of those Wednesday nights at the ballpark in the press box easier.
01:05:46
Speaker 2: For sure year Next year, guys, we've got to have a good year, like a real good year, compet like we're talking right now. September thirteenth, that they're.
01:05:54
Speaker 4: Not done right. They're competing at least in case. You know, obviously everybody with love a playoff appearance. But I think it's just competing for the playoffs late into the season that would bring fans in the ballpark. It would get people excited, and it would make people. I think the most important thing is it would make people feel you said, optimistic, not confident, confident in the direction that they're going in, that they actually took a step forward. Because while last year was obviously a bit you know, the circumstances and everything, it was a bit of a fluke. This was obviously a huge step back this year. I think we can all say that.
01:06:27
Speaker 2: I mean, look, there's nothing that looks Cincinnati is in it this year. What business do they have being in it? You know, like why not Miami? I mean they should be in the same spot next year as them. You know Toronto, I mean, what did Toronto do all of a sudden? They went out, They got Springer, they got hung in ru, they got the shed flag, couple of pictures in Boom. They're they're right in it too, you know, Padres, there's no reason. What did the raids again? There's no Milwaukee. Look how good Milwaukee is? What business do they? What does Milwaukee have two good pictures? Miami has three? Come on, there's no reason why next year they shouldn't be in the eight. As far as wins, come on, you cannot have, cannot be satisfied with if they win thirteen more games and they did last year and that takes them from sixty six to seventy nine, that's not enough.
01:07:11
Speaker 4: So all right, Marlins offseason talk completed. There is a series that we're supposed to technically be previewing here. Why, Craig, I know right, I know right. It's it's the Marlins and the Nationals. We love this part. Daniel Rodriguez, your prediction for this series three game set?
01:07:30
Speaker 9: I think they take two games, the first and the last one. The middle of that they face as the Sarto and Eric Fee has just been the Marlins killer this entire season. He has like an under two point era against the Marlins and everyone else.
01:07:44
Speaker 2: It's like eight seventy r A. I think they take two out of the three.
01:07:48
Speaker 4: Isaac, go ahead.
01:07:50
Speaker 2: You know I've done this once before. I'm gonna do it again this time.
01:07:52
Speaker 7: I don't care now you hope to see Sandy Patrollio busy, Trevor Patolio busy, Losarto pitchwell.
01:07:58
Speaker 2: So at this point in IDC, for me.
01:08:00
Speaker 4: It's the Marlins and Nationals? How much of how many of us really care? Alex Carver, are you gonna do the same thing?
01:08:07
Speaker 2: I mean I should.
01:08:08
Speaker 8: I agree with Craig like why why and Isaac as well, but yeah, like Eric finey like like like Daniel said, that's pretty much like Vince Alaska is two point zero.
01:08:17
Speaker 2: He's horrible against everybody else and kills the Marlins. So I don't know about that game. The last two times he's pitched, he's been really good.
01:08:24
Speaker 8: Got a Rogers versus Rogers matchup on Sunday, so I guess that would be like your headline of this whole disastrous series that's about to have him.
01:08:31
Speaker 4: But I'll say two of three, Kevin, go ahead.
01:08:35
Speaker 6: Yeah, I'm about to say I don't care, but uh, I'm gonna go as well. Two out of three here, I think they'll take the Sandy and the and the Trevor start. Even though do you think Lizard will pitch a good game? I think, uh, that guy has really just killed the Marlins this year.
01:08:49
Speaker 4: Yeah, two, three, No, I think you're going to sweep here.
01:08:52
Speaker 5: I have to because everyone else is not is not going, is not going for it. Somebody has to do it.
01:08:57
Speaker 6: I'll tell you this. I'm really close to things sweep until I heard who is pitching that second do it.
01:09:01
Speaker 5: I'm just gonna do it.
01:09:02
Speaker 4: I'm doing it, Craig. The Marlins have to finish out the last place to feel a little better, right, especially after what the Nationals did.
01:09:08
Speaker 2: So I don't know about that. What does that really matter? Who who pitches the next two games.
01:09:13
Speaker 4: After tonight and then Rogers?
01:09:16
Speaker 2: Oh, Trevor Rodgers pitches Wednesday? Yeahah yeah, I mean they have a good chance to win. I would say win two out of three.
01:09:23
Speaker 4: Your prediction for the real prediction I want is Saturday afternoon, three point thirty in the swamp.
01:09:28
Speaker 2: Yes, already got I'm gonna be the Marlins Pirates game.
01:09:32
Speaker 4: You can, I can honestly say, gladly say, I will not be in Marlins Park. I will be in I don't know, I.
01:09:43
Speaker 2: Can't wait. I feel like the game will be closer than the spread.
01:09:46
Speaker 4: Within I agree, I agree. Hey, we came within six of them. In the SEC Championship Games. No, I'll say that the Marlins take two out of three. I will not. You will not trap me into predicting the Gators beating Bama in a public forum. You will trop me into doing that. Craig. Thank you, Craig, thank you so much for joining us. It was just such a treat and.
01:10:06
Speaker 2: My pleasure follow all of you guys and listen. I understand as fans, you know certainly there's UH. You know you want to support your team and you and you want to be optimistic. And for some people who are looking at that, they're look at me year round and they just expect all sunshine and rainbows. I try to keep it transparent and keep it real as much as I can. When they win, I'll be their biggest cheerleader. But when they lose, I'm gonna say they lose. So you guys should never give up your heart, never give up your fandom. I totally respect that, and UH, and I enjoy watching all of you guys and seeing all you guys tweet and do what you do. But you know, we all have a job to do out there, and my job is to call it how I see it.
01:10:46
Speaker 4: Craig. We love you. Thanks so much. You're welcome back on any Fish Stripes platform at any time.
01:10:50
Speaker 2: You know, you guys might have asked one more question, actually.
01:10:54
Speaker 4: Do you want him to come?
01:10:57
Speaker 2: Yeah? Sure?
01:10:58
Speaker 4: Whatever.
01:11:00
Speaker 7: Do you think they may be bringing an executive here because there's a little bit of an experience in my opinion, the front office.
01:11:05
Speaker 2: You know, Jeter and Kimany you breaking up. I can't really hear that one.
01:11:09
Speaker 4: Thank you so much for joining us, guys, Go Gators on this weekend. Go Fish Craig, Thanks again, all right, guys see letter