Mattingly excited about new-look Marlins: 'You probably think I'm crazy'
Under new ownership, the Miami Marlins' roster was decimated this winter, as Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter traded away Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, Dee Gordon, and reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton in an effort to improve the franchise's dire financial straits.
Now, as spring training looms, the Marlins are largely anonymous, but Don Mattingly, heading into his third season as the club's manager, says he's actually looking forward to leading this increasingly unestablished group.
"You probably think I’m crazy, but I could look you right in the camera - look you right in the eye - and tell you how excited I am to be here," Mattingly said Saturday at Marlins' FanFest, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
Though the Marlins, as currently constituted, are widely projected to be the worst team in the National League in 2018, Mattingly described his current situation as a "coach's dream." They weren't winning with the old group, anyway, Mattingly said, stressing that "we had to do something different" following an eighth straight losing season in 2017.
"You get to teach," Mattingly noted. "You get to develop. You get to bring a guy’s career along and you actually get to be a part of building something that you think is going to be something special, and think is going to be sustainable."
Projected 2018 lineup
| # | Player | POS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | J.T. Realmuto | C |
| 2 | Martin Prado | RF |
| 3 | Starlin Castro | 2B |
| 4 | Justin Bour | 1B |
| 5 | Lewis Brinson | CF |
| 6 | Derek Dietrich | LF |
| 7 | Brian Anderson | 3B |
| 8 | J.T. Riddle | SS |
More moves could be coming, too. J.T. Realmuto, the 26-year-old who has established himself over the past couple seasons as one of baseball's top catchers, has expressed his desire to be traded, as well, though he noted Saturday he hasn't yet spoken with Jeter about a possible deal. Starlin Castro, the four-time All-Star acquired in the deal that sent Stanton to the New York Yankees in December, has also popped up in trade rumors. Combined, Realmuto and Castro will make nearly $14 million in 2018, accounting for roughly 16 percent of the club's $87-million payroll.
For Mattingly, though, if the roster has to be further pared down, so be it.
"I know some of the things have been unpopular," Mattingly said. "But, for me, it’s things that had to be done.”