2008 Florida Marlins Picks & Predictions
May 22, 2008
The Marlins enter the 2008 season without their best pitcher, Dontrelle Willis, and without their best stick, Miguel Cabrera. These are two hits that are undoubtedly going to set the fish back, but could they be swimming again as soon as next season? Find out in Dave Price’s 2008 Florida Marlins predictions.
Pitching
The Marlins once had a formidable one-two punch in Josh Beckett and Dontrelle Willis. They still have some talented hurlers, but injuries will keep those pitchers from starting the year in the rotation. Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez are both rehabbing injuries. So it looks like Sergio Mitre will get the ball on Opening Day. It’s not often that you send a fourth or fifth guy in the rotation to the mound to get the season started off on a winning note but that is the situation Florida has found itself in. Scott Olsen has shown glimpses of brilliance, but his mental toughness often fails him. Andrew Miller comes over from Detroit to take one of the rotation spots and Ricky Nolasco will take another. Vandenhurk should also see a spot in the starting rotation until Sanchez returns.
Get out the icy hot and ice bags for the Marlins pen because it is sure to see plenty of action with the state the starting five is in. Kevin Gregg had 32 saves last season on a team which only won 71 games. He is a solid closer but won’t get as many chances this year.
Offense
With Miguel Cabrera heading to an AL contender, Hanley Ramirez, Josh Willingham, and Dan Uggla will try to pick up the slack. Ramirez batted .332 last season with 29 bombs and 81 RBIs. Willingham belted 21 homeruns and added 89 RBIs. Uggla nailed 31 round trippers and added 88 RBIs. The Marlins are also looking to Jorge Cantu to fill in some power numbers for this team. He didn’t hit well in stops with Tampa Bay and Cincy in 2007, but this is a guy which hit 28 homeruns and drove in 117 with the Rays in 2005.
Defense
Ramirez is already in an elite class offensively in terms of players at the shortstop position, but he must tighten up defensively. He has averaged 25 errors the past two seasons. Uggla is playing second more for his power than his glove. There will be no serious glove work going on at the corners. The Marlins will need a replacement for Cabrera, but he wasn’t Gold Glove material. Mike Jacobs is just an average first baseman by most reports. Cameron Maybin has the look of a player that could be the Marlins’ centerfielder for years to come. Willingham has settled in out in left and Jeremy Hermida will be in right. Both Matt Treanor and Mike Rabelo will be better defensively behind the plate than Miguel Olivo was.
The fish will be in trouble in 2008 after losing their two best players and with the injuries to Sanchez and Johnson. The Marlins have proven to be one of the best franchises at rebuilding quickly, but with as tough as the NL East has gotten, this one may take longer than expected. I can’t see the Marlins making it out of the basement in the division.
It’s high time you started doing your MLB betting with a handicapper that has posted 10 consecutive winning seasons on the bases. Let Dave Price’s MLB picks bring home the bacon for you all summer long.
Odds to win NL East: 40/1
Odds to win 2008 NL Pennant: 70/1
Odds to win 2008 World Series: 150/1
NL East
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