Marlins face tough task of looking beyond Jose Fernandez tragedy
The Marlins have endured tragedy and now have to focus on the future
By
Mike Axisa
•
3 min read
The entire context of the Miami Marlins' 2016 season has changed. Just one week ago, this season was one of disappointment, as the club extended their postseason drought to 13 seasons, the second longest in baseball. That happened despite a busy offseason (Wei-Yin Chen) and trade deadline (Fernando Rodney, Andrew Cashner).
All of that is secondary now. The Marlins' season turned tragic last Sunday, when beloved staff ace Jose Fernandez and two other young men were killed in a boating accident off the Florida coast. The worst moment of the season led to one of the most memorable, as the Marlins honored their fallen teammate with a touching pregame ceremony Monday before Dee Gordon hit 2016's biggest home run.
Goosebumps. What an emotional moment. I have no idea how the Marlins were able to play that night, but you know Fernandez would have wanted them to. Baseball lost not only a great player, but a great person. Fernandez did a lot in the community and was a hero to many of the Cuban Americans living in Miami.
Fernandez was laid to rest earlier this week, and with the season almost over, the Marlins' front office will soon get together and begin the uncomfortable yet necessary discussions about team's future without their ace. They all lost a friend and a teammate. They also lost a key player and a franchise building block. It's uncomfortable to talk about Fernandez's death in baseball terms, but this is the club's reality.
The Marlins, as much as any team in baseball, have an incredible collection of young talent. Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, and Marcell Ozuna form what very well might be the best outfield in baseball. J.T. Realmuto provides offense behind the plate to go with a strong arm. Martin Prado remains productive. Adam Conley and Kyle Barraclough emerged as key pieces of the pitching staff in 2016.
At the same time, the Marlins failed to make the postseason because Stanton again got hurt, this time missing close to a month with a groin problem. Justin Bour was out two months with an ankle problem. Chen had a 5.02 ERA before going down with an elbow issue. Gordon, last year's batting champ, was suspended 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.
Ultimately, the Marlins missed the postseason this year because of their pitching more than anything. Their rotation has a 4.29 ERA -- it's 4.66 when you remove Fernandez's brilliance -- which is four percent worse than average when factoring in their home ballpark. There's a reason they traded for both Cashner and Colin Rea at the deadline, though Rea was returned to the Padres due to a medical issue.
With a stellar collection of position players -- all of their regulars are under control through 2018 thanks to Prado's recent extension -- the Marlins will focus on pitching going forward, and they'll have to do that without Fernandez. They lost an amazing pitcher and also a high-end trade chip. Let's face it, the Marlins have a history of trading their stars. Fernandez's name was mentioned in trade rumors last offseason.
The combination of a weak farm system and a weak free agent class means the Marlins have limited options to address their pitching needs. They can continue to wait on youngsters like Justin Nicolino and Jose Urena, or perhaps use Ozuna in a trade. He's been on the block for almost a year now, it seems. You hate to rob Peter to pay Paul, but Miami may not have another choice.
The Marlins were sitting in the second wild card spot the day of the trade deadline, but they have the NL's worst record since (22-32), which is why they've fallen out of the race. Pitching is a clear priority going forward. It was even before Fernandez's tragic death. The Marlins are still in the healing process, though once the offseason begins, the front office will have to get back to work quickly to give this team the best chance to win in 2017.
