In 2019, one of the big deals coming out of Oakland were the callups of both A.J. Puk and Jesus Luzardo, two of their top pitching prospects, at once. With the A's still a big part of playoff races, this was an extremely big deal, and the hope was that these two would supplant the rotation in years to come.
That did not happen. Puk could not stay healthy, or up in the majors, while Luzardo struggled at every chance the A's gave him. The only way this power duo took off was, ultimately, once Luzardo was traded for Starling Marte in mid-2021. The following year, Luzardo took off in Miami, with a 3.32 ERA and 120 Ks in 18 games around injuries. Puk had his best relief year yet, with a 3.12 ERA and 76 Ks in 62 appearances for the A's.
And then, almost unceremoniously, Puk was shipped off to Miami in exchange for J.J. Bleday. And without even meaning to, the Marlins just reunited the rookie power duo of their heyday in a market going the exact opposite that they were. How much d'you wanna think Billy Beane realized what he did about an hour after the fact and facepalmed big-time?
This is, I suppose, the genius of the Kim Ng era of Marlins baseball. Ng has learned from the Rays in how she's snuck great players away from big teams for practically nothing. Considering how many injuries it took to get Bleday up last year, it was clear that Bleday was worth more as a trade piece than he was as a Marlins power hitter, and Puk has been worth his weight in gold so far for the Marlins, even if he is injured.
It's interesting considering that there's still leftovers from the previous regime's decisions. I mean, yeah we're rid of, like, Lewis Brinson, Magneuris Sierra, Jordan Yamamoto and Starlin Castro, but there are some big pieces of those trades remaining, like Garrett Cooper and Sandy Alcantara, and obviously Alcantara is still one of the biggest stars in Miami. And then most of the current lineup is made up of either big contracts [Jorge Soler, Avisail Garcia, Jean Segura] or really sneaky GM moves [Joey Wendle, Jon Berti, Tanner Scott, Luis Arraez]. The only people in the current lineup who came up through the team are Nick Fortes, Bryan de la Cruz and Jesus Sanchez. And while those are good pieces, they're not as crucial as someone like Chisholm or Alcantara.
Now, the future of this team, and the longer-term Ng sensibilities, are beginning to seep in. The rotation is beginning to load up with homegrown people, like the preexisting Garrett, Cabrera and Rogers, and now the 20-year-old Eury Perez, who's been impressive already. You also have Peyton Burdick and Jerar Encarnacion beginning to creep up and begin to inherit the team. The homegrown guys are definitely there, and are getting more chances now.
Even if the Marlins aren't an overwhelming favorite in the NL East this year, they're still doing a lot right, and are setting the foundation for the next few years. That definitely counts for something.
Coming Tonight: I thought he'd lost his stuff after the tack ban, and evidently I was wrong.
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