Updated Feb 26, 2003 2:01 PM ET
Last year's record
79-83, 4th place in NL East
If 2002 were a movie ...
"Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives." Jason in this instance would be Fish owner Jeffrey Loria, who by all rights should've been excommunicated from the owners' club after he ran the aground. Interesting side note: "Friday the 13th Part IV" was subtitled "The Final Chapter." There followed six sequels to the so-called "Final Chapter." May we all have the resilience, staying power and survival instincts of one Jason Voorhies.
Where was I? Loria (his blood-soaked goalie's mask safely in a burlap sack deep in the trunk of his car) took his saboteur act to Florida, and the fans scattered like frightened cockroaches. The team wasn't bad, but once again this organization that's brimming with young talent failed to make significant strides.
On the plus side, the team got solid offensive contributions from , , and . A mid-season trade of fortified the minors with some strong prospects. , when not riddled with blisters, pitched well and even posted more strikeouts than innings pitched (always a good sign for a rookie). AJ Burnett may have been overworked at times, but 204 innings, 203 Ks and a 3.30 ERA is ace material.
To go negative for a moment, was traded to the mostly for the dubious skills of . was mediocre, and showed signs of decline. , meanwhile, was borderline awful. And perhaps most troubling was that manager Jeff Torborg, a favorite of Loria's, at times showed a manifest preference for all the wrong players and all the wrong in-game tactics.
This year's question ...
Is this the year the organization finally moves to the next level? The rebuilding program begun by Dave Dombrowski following the 1997 season should've begun bearing fruit by now. So far, however, the talent in the organization has proved to be greater than the sum of its parts. Will '03 shake out any different?
The off-season is a mixed bag. Besides serving as 's layover on the way to Atlanta, Florida jettisoned , , , , and others. They added , , , and, most notably, Ivan Rodriguez.
Pudge is an odd case in that his offensive skills don't seem to have declined one whit; he's just able to use them as often. Still, 100 games of Pudge is a valuable thing. His numbers will superficially decline because ProPlayer is a much tougher place to hit than Arlington is. But he improves this team by a healthy margin.
Millar will be missed. For the first half of last season, Florida boasted an outfield of Millar, Floyd and Wilson. That's a good arrangement. This year, however, they have arguably the worst hitting outfield in all of baseball. Pierre, Hollandsworth and Encarnacion will be a fine defensive unit, but they're plainly inadequate at the plate as a whole. Given that their only big-time power bat is a serious health and durability risk, this looks like a team that's going to have trouble scoring runs.
Torborg also doesn't show a deft touch with the young arms. He's prone to overwork his starters, and that's not something you want with young talents like Beckett, Penny and Burnett in the fold.
Battle royal
Closer. performed capably down the stretch last year in this role, but this is one to watch. The Fish are unusual in that they have four legit candidates for the job. did some closing last year, has closer stuff and the magical "Atlanta " imprimatur on his arm. And is a seasoned minor-league closer who pitched very well in his major-league audition last season. It probably all means short leashes, confusion and a wide dispersal of saves. But it also means a very strong bullpen from the right side.
| VAN DYCK: Pudge won't help |
Just why did the sign Pudge Rodriguez?
Do they really believe a broken-down catcher can make it in the National League? Or that he can improve attendance?
Or maybe they think he can handle a pitching staff that must shed the "potential" tag and step up into the real world?
Whatever, when the 125 or so loyal Florida fans gather, they will find that this is not that bad a team, quietly pieced together with speed (Juan Pierre, ) and defense. And that's what you want with a "potentially" potent pitching staff.
Now, there is one huge unknown to anything involving the Florida : Ownership.
Jeffrey Loria and extended family have artfully run one franchise into the ground in Canada and seemingly wanted to in the U. S. as well. So, if this team is good, will the family find some financing for more talent?
Don¿t count on it, they haven't done it yet.
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Uncry these tears ...
For . After the trade of Floyd, Millar was the ' best hitter. He hits for average and power, and he has passable plate discipline. He also handles both sides, and his overall numbers were dragged down by the park he played half his games in. Florida will miss his bat this season, and they'll miss it even more considering they got nothing but a little cash in return.
And stay out!
. Although the fifth spot in the rotation is a question mark, Tavarez was not a serious loss. To be honest, he was downright awful as a Marlin, much worse than his already bad 5.39 ERA would lead you to believe. Why do I say this? Any time a pitcher logs more walks than strikeouts, it's a serious problem.
Joe Millionaire Award
The guy who's not worth as much as is widely believed? , this is your life. Yes, he's fast. Yes, he steals bases. But no, he's not good enough to be a starter in the majors. In a full season on Planet Coors, he slugged a measly .343. I understand he's not a power hitter, but pitchers have more pop than that in Denver. He's part of the ' offensive suckhole of an outfield, and he could be the of center field after his already lousy numbers come down from the mountains of Colorado.
Where's the love?
For . He's Pudge's backup now, but this guy should be someone's starting catcher. He has a strong throwing arm and excellent minor-league hitting numbers. After the trade, it looked as though he'd finally get his chance. Ah well. He'll be the best backup in baseball this season unless he's traded to a team that needs him as a starter. Honorable mention to , whose age and upward-trending walk rate suggest he could be in for a breakout season.
Needs a touch of ...
A power-hitting corner outfielder. The East is winnable this season. Had they kept and , they might be positioned to contend. That didn't happen. If they wish to salvage any hope of October baseball, they'll need some lumber in a hurry. Maybe they could put together a package featuring and flip it for .
Crystal ball
Last place, NL East. This offense is just too bad.
