The Marlins have SIX STARTING PITCHERS on the Injured list. Five of them are on the 60-Day IL. Two of them, Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez, have not made an appearance this season. There's a lot of talk this season about teams that have been screwed over by starter injuries, teams like the Astros, Dodgers and A's, but you haven't really heard much about the Marlins in this category, purely due to the theory that if they'd been any good this year then the pitching stuff wouldn't matter.
I...I really disagree. The issue with this team is that if Luzardo had been 100%, if Alcantara and Perez had been healthy, then maybe the lack of run support would be less glaring, and this team would be closer to the Tigers or Mariners. If this had been a good season for starters, then they would be able to develop the minor league pitchers and ensure that they'd be ready for MLB action instead of being shoved right into the fire this year. Roddery Munoz will be a fine pitcher, I'm sure, but of course he has a 5.50 ERA right now. If he'd been able to develop naturally he wouldn't be pressured to be the Marlins No. 2 guy right now.
So who does that make the Marlins #1 guy? Trevor Rogers, who hasn't been completely healthy since 2021. He had an amazing rookie season, overtaxed himself resulting in a 5 ERA sophomore year, was injured for most of last year, and was still kind of rehabbing to start 2024. He is better now, and got his ERA below five, thanks to some really strong recent starts, including one where he had a no-no going til Elly de la Cruz had his say. Unfortunately, with the Marlins lack of run support he is 1-9, and even with Yonny Chirinos and Edward Cabrera behind him he's still the most experienced man in this rotation.
The Marlins are looking like they're gonna deal Jazz Chisholm, Tanner Scott, and possibly even Josh Bell. And if you're clearing things out and letting this team grow back in, even after a postseason year, you hopefully have people ready. I don't know who the heir apparent for this system is right now. Unlike a lot of rebuilding teams, there isn't really a guy that Marlins fans are waiting for. Like at least the D-Backs are waiting for Druw Jones, or the Reds are now waiting for Chase Burns. I don't know what the Marlins are waiting for. Better prospects in these trades? The pitchers to get off the IL? Bryan de la Cruz to finally hit over .250?
It's such tonal whiplash for the Marlins. One year the excitement's there, the next year it's pointless. Over and over. And you hope for a reprieve but you don't know what that'll take. So you just have to hope something sticks, and for more than a year.
Coming Tonight: The Yankees gave him up. The Padres gave him up. Their loss, I suppose. I mean, y'know, they have Juan Soto and Dylan Cease now, but their loss.
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