Those Poor Marlins: Part...Like Eight

Yesterday I talked about the fact that the Colorado Rockies have never finished a season in first. Well...neither have the 2-time World Series-winning Miami Marlins. Only...to be honest, with the last 10 years of this team in mind, I can sort of see that. This team hasn't won more than 80 games in a season since 2009, a season where Josh Johnson was their strongest player. They've also only been to the playoffs twice in their existence...and they've only won two World Series', so do the math there. They've never lost a playoff matchup...solely because they've never been good enough to lose in the playoffs, if that makes sense.

And now, they're having yet another bad season for the ages, just a year after having the lineup but not the pitching to make it big...and promptly splitting up said lineup. Now, what do the Marlins have? JT Realmuto. That's basically it.

And look, you can begin to see prospects beginning to make their way up, like Isaac Galloway, Rafael Ortega and Sandy Alcantara, but this team is filled with so much more dead weight than they need. Lots of older players, like Dan Straily and Martin Prado, who, while fine, are showing some 'on their last legs' qualities this year. And just...too much of this team is unmemorable. After the incredible lineup last year, to go from that to...'sure, let's start Derek Dietrich' is pretty pathetic.

And even with the rookies coming up, I can't say with certainty that the Marlins will get back to first or anything in the near future. It might take a few more years of sucking for anything great to happen, which is kind of sad.

Coming Tomorrow- Speaking of depleted teams that were recently competitors, a pitcher for another last place team.

Miami Heat

A lot has been going on in Miami, Florida, and a great deal of it has nothing to do with how well the Marlins are doing.

As you probably know by now, the sale of the Marlins had been bobbing up and down beneath the regular season conflict for a few months. Jeffrey Loria had spent enough time running the franchise into the ground, and wanted to give it up before it got unprofitable for, you know, him. This week, somebody finally bit- a group headed up by the great Derek Jeter bought the Miami Marlins from Loria, and are looking to clean house (including president and last-place finisher on Survivor, David Samson). Things are shifting and moving in the front office, and all the while the Marlins have to keep playing baseball amidst all the instability.

And...they're doing alright?

Okay, they're second in the NL East, which is a feat they'd been hoping to reach since 2015, when the youth movement was just beginning to crop up. They'd been spending years in third, and after a week featuring the Mets getting swept, the Braves crumbling, and the Phillies...being the Phillies, the Marlins cemented a second place spot.

The only problem is that they're a smidge below .500, they're 14 games behind the first place Nationals, and 8 games behind the Wild Card contenders. So yeah...it's a pretty bittersweet outcome, the fact that they grab 2nd in the NL East the one year it doesn't amount for shit.

Even worse, Dan Straily and Jose Urena are singlehandedly holding up the pitching staff. The lineup's been fantastic, but the lack of pitching is keeping them under .500, and subsequently out of the conversation. And yes, both Straily and Urena are pretty good this year, but...two guys can't save a rotation. Ask Baltimore. They're in a similar rut right now.

So yeah, as much as I love Stanton's home runs, or the rise of Realmuto and Bour...I don't actually think they're gonna make a run at Arizona and Colorado for the WC spots. At least not successfully.

Coming Tomorrow- Last year he was indestructible, and the one DH that could have taken David Ortiz' crown. This year, in a friendlier city...he's still pretty damned good.

Dan Straily: Back from the Dead

I was going to post this one last night, but due to Series-2-mania, it's up now. It's actually a good thing I didn't post this last night, because Dan Straily got absolutely BATTERED by the Braves (of all people). I mean, I was gonna talk about how Dan Straily's one of the few pitchers on the Reds that were doing any positive work this season, but then the Braves irony-ed me in the tuchus so I couldn't really do that.

I will say that Dan Straily, for a guy that hasn't been baseball-relevant since he was a member of the Miraculous 2013 A's, has been doing a pretty impressive job as the supposed anchor in Cincy. Look, the guy's had the situation thrust upon him, and he's doing pretty well given the circumstances, launching a full-scale comeback that rivals only those not led by people named 'Rich Hill'. But it's still a comeback for the Reds, so he's gonna lose some games here and there.

I'll mention here that Dan's been involved in some pretty memorable trades. He and Addison Russell were traded for Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel, and the next year he was traded, with Luis Valbuena, for Dexter Fowler. So he's been the guy in most of these trades that hasn't panned out.

Maybe he'll get traded somewhere midseason, Mike Fiers style, and become a solid later-half-rotation addition. Or maybe 2016 will be it for the guy. I really don't know, but it's still a pretty intriguing comeback.

Coming Tonight: Best player in baseball right now.

Last Exit in Chicago

You know, I wasn't really expecting to post anything. I was a little burned out after my relaxing Independence Day. I figured 'I guess I could get away with not posting today'. I mean, next week might be kinda huge for the blog (not gonna give anything away, but my mystery contact may be rearing his/her ugly head again), so I figured it would all balance out in the end.

And then...I check ESPN...and the first major move of the offseason has taken place. And, as usual, it comes from Chicago.

Was I terribly surprised that Jeff Samardzija took the first plane out of Chicago? Nope. He's the best pitcher on the team, he's had a few really nice seasons, and it's killing him that he's not gonna win that much.

Was I surprised that he went to the A's? A little. I mean, when fledgling pitchers escape, usually they escape to Arlington or the Bronx. I didn't want him coming to either place, no matter how desperate our rotation situation seems. Being that the A's are doing really well, and have a rotation that is slightly injury-plagued (I say slightly meaning that it's just Parker and Milone pretty much), Samardzija would actually be a really nice addition over there.

Was I surprised that they threw in Jason Hammel? Yeah. Because...Jason Hammel? Relevant? I didn't think it possible.

Was I surprised that the A's are giving up Dan Straily? Very. Because I thought he was one of their key pieces moving forward. Uh...not anymore, I guess.

Very, very surprising. If anything, it means the Ex-Cub factor will work against the A's if they make it to the World Series. Unless, of course, they're playing the Cubs.

Somebody Clinched

I'm personally very happy that the Dodgers clinched. They had a very nice season, and definitely deserved the terrific run they had in this series. I wish I could post a Juan Uribe custom, but I, and likely a lot of Dodgers fans, forgot he was on the team.

Still, the other three matchups fared slightly similarly-ish:

These guys are up 2-1 against one of the toughest teams in the AL. I really hope they pull through, as they're a lot of fun to watch.

Ugh. WHY DO THESE GUYS KEEP WINNING GAMES??? STOP TOYING WITH MY EMOTIONS! THE PIRATES ARE AWESOME! JUST LET THEM WIN ALREADY!

These guys surprisingly hung on, and got their first win of the series? Will it be enough? If you have trouble answering that question, please remember, the Red Sox are probably going to win the entire thing. So no. Not really.