The Miami Marlins entered the new season with some hope following a surprise playoff berth a year ago. Miami reached the National League Wild-Card Series after posting a record of 84-78 but was swept in two games by the division rival, Philadelphia Phillies. Despite this, the Marlins believed that they had found some momentum to build off behind up-and-coming manager Skip Schumaker.
The team didn’t make too many major moves over the offseason but did add second baseman Tim Anderson to the mix. The organization believed that they could build upon their success from a year ago, but fate had other ideas. Miami has posted a record of 9-26 to start the year, and they just traded away arguably their best player, infielder Luis Arráez, to the San Diego Padres.
Following the Arráez trade, Marlins president Peter Bendix gave his thoughts on why they traded Arráez, saying that it was an offer they couldn’t turn down. But he also added some comments that normally aren’t said by anyone within an organization. He doubted his team’s ability to reach the postseason just a little over a month into the year.
“We are unlikely to make the playoffs this year.”
Bendix “We are unlikely to make the playoffs this year.”
— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) May 4, 2024
While the Marlins record will prove tough to overcome, hearing this from the top level of any organization is truly shocking. Sports are all about belief, and this couldn’t have been easy to hear for the players who go out onto the field every game for this organization.
Even if he believed this to his core, it never should have been said out loud. Baseball is a game of streaks, with a few solid weeks having the ability to completely change the trajectory of a season. Miami has started the year off very slowly but they have talent on the team that could figure things out down the line.
However, this is the same organization that pushed out one of the brightest minds in baseball, Kim Ng. Ng had been running the Marlins and was a key reason for their playoff berth a year ago, but owner Bruce Sherman wanted to have someone else lead the charge. Ng respectfully declined her contract option, and the two sides went their separate ways.
“According to a person who has spoken to Ng but requested anonymity, Sherman told Ng a few days ago that he wanted to hire a president of baseball operations over her, which resulted in her discussing it with trusted colleagues before declining her option even though the Marlins had exercised their end.”
A similar experience happened to MLB legend Derek Jeter, who stepped down from running the Marlins after saying the direction of the organization “was not what I had signed up for.”
With these comments from Bendix, the dysfunction of the Marlins runs even deeper. His comments showed a lack of grasp on the team’s outlook, even if trading Arráez was the best thing for the organization. The city of Miami deserves better, as does the fanbase that supports this team year in and year out.
Uncommon Knowledge
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