Do the Miami Marlins Have a Rotation Problem?
The Miami Marlins, even without Sandy Alcántara (Tommy John), looked to be good on starting pitching this season.
Jesus Luzardo would take Alcántara's Opening Day starter spot, with a full season from young phenom Eury Pérez and several quality options - Braxton Garrett, Trevor Rogers, and Edward Cabrera - rounding out the rotation. Even the reserves looked like they'd be of quality, with Max Meyer and others expected to start the season in AAA Jacksonville.
Oh, how things can change.
Garrett was dealing with a sore shoulder early in camp, delaying his preparations and likely causing him to start the season on the injured list.
Cabrera left a start with a shoulder issue of his own, and while an MRI showed no structural damage, he's not expected to be ready for Opening Day either.
Max Meyer, working his way back from Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2023 season, was optioned to AAA Jacksonville as he continues to build up for a starter's workload.
And even the 'Baby Goat' isn't immune to the injury bug - Pérez has now twice left a start early due to a broken fingernail that continues to give him trouble. He pitched with an artificial nail two outings ago but was limited to just his fastball and curveball, unable to throw a slider.
And so Miami's had to adjust their plans for the start of the season - two of their projected top relievers, lefties A.J. Puk and Ryan Weathers, are both expected to be in the rotation to start the season.
The obvious concern here is workload - Puk, Weathers, and Rogers combined for only six starts and 132.2 innings in Miami last season.
Now there are some caveats here - Weathers, a trade acquisition from the San Diego Padres last season, actually got 137.1 innings combined between both teams' major and minor-league affiliates, while Rogers threw 107 innings in 2022 and only lost out on innings last season due to multiple injuries.
But it's not comforting, to say the least.
Having 3/5ths of last year's rotation (Alcantara, Garrett, Cabrera) on the injured list and questions about Pérez's availability makes one want to check the free agent listings for early season rotation options.
Spoiler alert: that's not pretty, either, with mostly either expensive (Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery) or underwhelming (Rich Hill, Dallas Keuchel, Michael Lorenzen) options that aren't even guaranteed to be ready to go on Opening Day.
(There's also Trevor Bauer, if Peter Bendix was so inclined, but it doesn't feel like he will be.)
It appears the plan is hope. Hope the offense can score enough runs to carry the team in the first few weeks. Hope that Pérez is able to make his scheduled game two start. Hope that Garrett and Cabrera are able to return quickly.
(And that Cabrera's shoulder issue, which is the same one that caused him to miss time in 2023, isn't something that's going to linger this season or require him to have surgery and miss more time.)
And while rebellions are built on hope, playoff contenders typically aren't. Let's see if it works out.
Managing Editor for Blackerby Media, covering the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins Also: Senior Baseball Writer for Auburn Daily, member of both the National College Baseball Writers Association and Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (where he won the 2023 Prospects, Minors, & College Writer of the Year award)