Marlins Journal

    With the signing of Dallas McPherson and the pending signing of Luis Gonzalez (pending physical, no official comment on Gonzo), I thought it would be a good idea to introduce a few of the newest additions to the Marlins’ family.  Let’s start with the two aforementioned guys.

• Dallas McPherson, 3B
  • McPherson could fill the gaping hole at 3rd base vacated by some player that the Marlins traded. (I can’t think of his name for the life of me….)  McPherson missed the entire ‘07 season after undergoing surgery on a herniated disc in his back.  Just over a year removed from going under the knife, he could be one of the sleeper signings in all of baseball this year.  The former Minor League Player of the Year in 2004 bears watching and I look forward to seeing if he can make the Opening Day roster.  If he does make the roster, it should allow more time for 3b prospect Matt Dominguez to develop at a safer pace.
• Luis Gonzalez, OF
  • This addition kind of caught me by surprise.  With the ‘youth movement’ that Marlins ownership has undertaken, why sign a 40 year old outfielder?  After further pontification (trying to make myself feel smart), the signing made more and more sense to me.  Gonzalez’s leadership should rub off on guys like Jeremy Hermida, Josh Willingham, and Cody Ross.  While he may not have the same ‘pop’ he had during his prime years with the D’backs, he is still a very capable big-league hitter.

• Mark Hendrickson, LHP
  • The signing of Hendrickson is very similar to the signing of Gonzalez.  He gives the young Marlins hurlers a veteran presence to learn from.  The one year deals that he and Gonzo signed also give the Marlins a low-risk/potential high reward combination that could prove beneficial for both parties.  While not a top-flight starter, he provides a good middle-rotation lefty, that also has some bullpen experience, if the need arises.
• Andrew Miller, LHP
  • Miller was one of two main pieces in the Cabrera/Willis trade this winter.  I personally saw him pitch in his first game at home in Detroit.  The kid has got big-league stuff, but the one thing that I don’t know if he has is big-league confidence… yet.  When he got pressed into service last season, he seemed a bit lost, and I really think that he could benefit from a little more seasoning down in the minors, but unfortunately, he may not have that luxury here in Florida.  This may seem drastic for me to say this, but if Miller is a full-time big-leaguer this year, it could be a sink-or-swim season for his career.
• Cameron Maybin, OF
  • Maybin is the most prized part of the mega-deal this offseason.  Maybin is ranked as the Marlins top prospect (13th overall in the bigs) by Keith Law of ESPN.com, and showed a glimpse of his future when he hit his first home run in Yankee Stadium off of some guy named Clemens.  Maybin is going to be given every chance to win the starting CF job to start the season, but that may not be the best situation for Maybin.  My prescription:  let Maybin have a little more time in the minors, get his confidence up (he hit under .150 for the year and the Clemens bomb was his only HR), and then bring him into the fold.  He is only 21 years old.  People have to remember that.  While the Marlins are one of the best teams in baseball in regards to developing young talent at a faster pace, Maybin has one of the brightest futures of any position player in baseball, and the Marlins can’t afford to waste it

information compiled from press reports