As part of RotoBaller's ongoing effort to help you win your leagues, we're previewing all 30 MLB teams. Today we continue our MLB team previews with the 2017 Miami Marlins Team Outlook to see how fantasy baseball owners should approach their players this season.
In this article, I will break down the team's notable additions, losses, offense, pitching and prospects. Let's get to it.
Editor's note: for even more draft prep, visit our awesome 2017 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. It has lots of in-depth staff rankings and draft strategy columns. You will find tiered rankings for every position, 2017 impact rookie rankings, AL/NL only league ranks and lots more. Bookmark the page, and win your drafts.
Offseason Moves
Key Additions: A.J. Ellis, Jeff Locke, Dan Straily, Junichi Tazawa, Edinson Volquez, Brad Ziegler
Key Departures: Andrew Cashner, Mike Dunn, Chris Johnson, Jeff Mathis, Fernando Rodney
Although it occurred in the 2016 season, the absence of Jose Fernandez will continue to cast a huge shadow on the Marlins' organization all season long. Without a true ace, the organization opted to load up on veteran depth in the rotation rather than trying to find a replacement for the young star. This didn't result in any exciting transactions, unless Edinson Volquez or Dan Straily get your temperature rising. Jeff Locke may shift to the bullpen after the recent acquisition of Straily. Brad Ziegler could compete for the closer role, but will likely begin as a setup man along with Tazawa. Offensively, the Marlins' lineup should be nearly identical to last year. They chose to swap a pair of backup catchers, which may help the pitching staff a bit, but will have no effect on offense.
Hitting Overview
The offense begins and ends with the outfield in South Florida. Deemed one of the best young outfields in all of Major League baseball, they mostly lived up to that moniker last season. Marcell Ozuna made the All-Star team after a blistering first half in which he hit .307 with 17 HR and 47 RBI in 323 at-bats. He fell off big-time in the second half, hitting .209 with just six homers. He may have been affected by the absence of slugger Giancarlo Stanton behind him. Speaking of Stanton, he's a known commodity at this point. Tremendous power, possibly the best in the game, but extremely injury-prone and strikeout-prone. Stanton smacked 20 HR and 50 RBI in the first half last year, but hit .233 along the way. His average is trending in the wrong direction the last three seasons, from .288 to .265 to .240. He played in 119 games, which is actually his third-highest total in seven seasons. Stanton is a risky pick for his fourth-round ADP, but one that could reap great benefits. Christian Yelich provides the highest floor of the three, hitting .293 in his Major League career. He found his power stroke last season, hitting 21 dingers, and could be in store for another step forward.
Among the infield, J.T. Realmuto and Dee Gordon are the main targets for fantasy owners. Realmuto doesn't pack much power, but his .303 AVG and 12 SB will make him one of the top five catchers off the board. Dee Gordon will be among the stolen base leaders, but expecting him to repeat his 2015 numbers is a mistake. Target him outside the top five 2B and top 50 overall. Martin Prado still provides veteran leadership at third, but is also a reliable source of average and RBI in deep leagues. He hit .305 and drove in 75 runs on the year, thanks to a productive second half. Adeiny Hechavarria is in for his defense only.
Pitching Overview
Rolling with a Marlins starter on your fantasy team is a crapshoot at this point. Wei-Yin Chen was a disappointment in 2016, posting a 4.96 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. He could bounce back if healthy, but isn't worth the risk early on. Adam Conley has the most promise after a second straight season with a sub-4.00 ERA. His 4.2 BB/9 needs to come down, but if he improve his command he could be a valuable sleeper. Volquez and Locke are both reclamation projects that don't offer too much upside in mixed leagues. Straily was surprisingly effective in Cincinnati last year, winning 14 games and offering a 3.76 ERA, but he also led the NL in home runs allowed (31). Marlins Park should suppress that number a bit, but Straily is far from a proven commodity.
After the failed pursuit of Kenley Jansen, A.J. Ramos should remain the closer. He was near the top of the NL with 40 saves last season. Brad Ziegler has closing experience and could pick up some saves throughout the season, but will begin as the setup man. Kyle Barraclough and Junichi Tazawa could help owners in leagues that count holds.
Prospects Overview
The farm system is thin for the Marlins, especially after dealing RHP Luis Castillo recently to acquire Dan Straily. According to ESPN's Keith Law, Miami's top prospect entering 2017 is Braxton Garrett, at #42 overall. He promises to be part of the rotation soon, but at 19 it will be a while before he makes an impact. The only other pitchers of note are LHP Jarlin Garcia and RHP Tyler Kolek. Kolek is a former first-rounder, but is recovering from Tommy John surgery last season.
On the offensive side, the outlook is even bleaker. Only a pair of third basemen, Brian Anderson and J.T. Riddle, are noteworthy. With Martin Prado signed through 2019 and Dee Gordon locking down second base, neither figure to see a call-up this season, barring injuries. Isael Soto is a deep sleeper if he develops power, but still needs to work on pitch recognition. Overall, don't expect anyone from the minors to become fantasy-relevant for the Fish this season.
Conclusion
There won't be many surprises coming out of Miami this season. The hitters far outweigh the pitchers in terms of fantasy value now that Fernandez is gone. Miami's outfielders have legitimate star-power and the bullpen is solid, but avoid the rotation until you see proof that one of those pitchers can produce on a consistent basis.