Miami Marlins time is now
BOSTON, MA – MAY 21: Xander Bogaerts #2 of the Boston Red Sox scores the tying run during the fifth inning of a game against the Seattle Mariners on May 21, 2022 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
The Miami Marlins had a pretty busy week of news. The biggest news is of course the rumor that Xander Bogaerts may actually be our free agent target. That’s not what this article is about however… As I wrote before, the NL East is becoming a bit easier for The Fish. The New York Mets are going through a massive turnover of players and the Philadelphia Phillies have a dilemma of their own. The window of contention is open.
The Miami Marlins have a window of contention that they must not waste.
The New York Mets just lost their ace Jacob deGrom to free agency:
They’re also in danger of losing fellow starting pitcher Chris Bassitt. Bassitt had a 3.42 ERA in 181.2 innings, so losing him is a major blow as well. They need another top of the rotation starter, a mid-rotation starter AND hope that Max Scherzer will continue to defy his age (39 next season). Did I mention that they still need to re-sign or replace most of their bullpen, CF and potentially DH?!
No matter how much money Steve Cohen has, the New York Mets are one Scherzer decline from missing the playoffs. That may not even be necessary, because the Milwaukee Brewers aren’t trading their aces after all, and the Miami Marlins won’t trade them our starting pitchers either. If they don’t sign Carlos Rodón, they’re getting significantly worse.
The National League Champions Philadelphia Phillies have issues too. Assuming they can replace or bring back their own relievers, they have to deal with team leader RF Bryce Harper missing at least half of the season with Tommy John surgery. I hope that Harper recovers completely. Unfortunately for Philly and Harper, we don’t know if he’ll immediately get back to top form, or when he’ll actually play.
What does all of this mean? It means that the Miami Marlins need to go all-out and compete next season. This means adding legitimate upgrades such as Xander Bogaerts or another top hitter. There’s no room for excuses, it’s time to win. The fans have been waiting too long and deserve a competitive team.
