Who’s out in Center?

Who’s out in Center?


You know that old joke who’s on first, and who’s on second and so on? It is a classic baseball joke we can laugh at but, the next question I have is no laughing matter. My question is who’s out in centerfield for the Marlins next season? The Marlins, as people know, don’t follow the normal protocol for running a baseball team, so if you heard who is going to play in centerfield for them you would scratch your head.

The answer, boys and girls, is Chris Coghlan. If you don’t know who he is I’ll tell you: Chris is a natural born third basemen and playing second base also. You might also know he is a the spunky rookie for the Marlins in 2009 when he won the rookie of year coming up to play leftfield because both positions were occupied. He is also known as the jokester and prankster as you saw he hurt his knee on a pie celebration which sidelined him during his second year.

So lets backtrack and let me give you some history and insight as to how they run things. The Marlins, owners of two World Series rings, were an expansion team in 1993 and they are known as a low cost team. They won in 1997 and then went into rebuilding mode as they did in 2003. So for a guy like Coghlan, you would think, as an infielder he wouldn’t have to wait because they way trade guys at their highest value and get prospects back that he would get his shot to play his natural position. But you thought wrong.

They did trade Jorge Cantu, their third basemen/first basemen, during the trade deadline and Dan Uggla this off season but didn’t get anything worth for now to be a starting centerfielder. You might say they were dumb to trade Cameron Maybin, their only CF, for more relief pitchers when the free agent market had more centerfielders. There were only 2-3 options out there and they didn’t look at them. They said Coghlan is our centerfielder and first baseman, Logan Morrison, is their leftfielder to be with rookie star from last year Mike Stanton, in right field. They are also going with a rookie at third base and a utility player at second base.

My opinion now is that you traded your centerfielder for bullpen help, you play Emilio Bonifacio another infielder who you hardly play even though you made an opening at second/third play him in centerfield because of speed and ability to play it over Coghlan. Put even Omar Infante in the outfield because he has more experience and is a defensive wiz. Also if Gaby Sanchez was arrogant in saying I’d rather play first base over third base because it’s easier, and he since he had such a great full rookie season that he can be choosy. So if he were a team player he would be at third base and Morrison would be at first base instead of an unknown rookie at third base and a first basemen in leftfield.

The outfield, because of this, is not great defensively. You also have unknowns in centerfield and other positions. They have a great young staff and bullpen but again their defense is and will always be a problem even after the trades they made. In the end, they will be a team that hovers around a .500 record with the Phillies being the best and Braves not too far off while the Nationals will give some fight. The team will still be lead by the leaders, Hanley Ramirez, the shortstop, and the Ace, Josh Johnson and Rookie star, Mike Stanton, in right. But the question still remains who’s out in center for the Marlins?????