JUPITER, Fla. – The Miami Marlins reported to Jupiter for the start of Spring Training on Monday.
Pitchers and catchers reported last week, the full squad on Monday.
The Marlins enter the season with the lowest payroll in Major League Baseball, a point owner Bruce Sherman addressed Monday. He said money is being spent on the team’s infrastructure rather than high-profile free agents.
“Everybody wants you to sign every free agent that’s available. We understand that, and we have signed free agents,” said Peter Bendix, the Marlins’ president of baseball operations. “We’ve signed, not the big-name free agents, but we’ve signed quality free agents.”
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The team’s biggest offseason acquisition was pitcher Cal Quantrill, who signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal. The Marlins also lost first baseman Jake Burger, who signed with the Texas Rangers.
Meanwhile, division rivals such as the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Mets have continued to invest heavily in their rosters.
“We have an incredible crew of young talent that’s going to emerge for multiple years,” Bendix said. “The feeling of optimism here is really palpable. We’ve really invested in technology, invested in different roles, invested in the things that we need to build the foundation of this organization.”
The Marlins face a tough challenge in the NL East with a young roster. While Sherman insists the team is building for the future, fans remain focused on immediate results.
When asked about the possibility of trading veteran pitcher Sandy Alcántara, Bendix declined to speculate. “I’m not going to talk about moves that haven’t been made. All I know is Sandy is here right now,” he said.
Sherman also expressed optimism about the team when speaking to reporters.
“I think we’re going to win a lot more games than you think this year,” he said. “Okay. I’m excited about it. There’s going to be more hustle, more speed, more defense than we’ve seen over the last two years. I want the fans to get to know the players. I want to give them the opportunity. There’s going to be All-Stars.”
The Marlins open the season on March 27 at home against the Pirates.
Sherman said that the pitching matchup of former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara against Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes is going to be the best one of the day.
The Marlins are hoping that Alcantara and Eury Perez can both return to form this season.
Both of the Marlins top pitchers missed last season following Tommy John surgery.