Conine returns, an early look at Marlins’ potential lineup and feedback on new players

A six-pack of Miami Marlins notes on a Thursday:

▪ Jeff Conine, nicknamed Mr. Marlin and one of the most popular players in team history, is returning to the organization.

Owner Bruce Sherman is hiring Conine as a special assistant. Conine will advise Sherman.

The Marlins say Conine “will work closely with Sherman and Marlins leadership on a variety of projects, initiatives and key matters pertaining to the Marlins’ operations.... He will also participate in special appearances throughout the year and at key community outreach and Miami Marlins Foundation events. Additionally, the two-time World Series champion will be available to provide guidance and assistance with players at all levels of the organization.”

Sherman said: “Jeff is an icon of the Marlins organization, and we are excited to bring him back ‘home. His perspective and knowledge of the history of the Marlins franchise and the South Florida community will be invaluable. We look forward to seeing him more at loanDepot park and engaging with our fans and partners.”

During previous owner Jeffrey Loria’s tenure, Conine worked for nine years a special assistant to former team president David Samson.

After Sherman bought the team in 2017, Conine turned down an offer from new ownership to remain with the organization in what would have been a sharply diminished role at lower pay.

Conine played parts of eight seasons with the Marlins in two different stints and batted .290 with 120 homers and 553 in 1,014 games. He was part of the Marlins’ teams that won World Series in 1997 and 2003.

During the past six years, he spent time broadcasting and working on FIU’s coaching staff.

His son, Griffin Conine, is a power-hitting outfielder in the Marlins’ minor-league system. He isn’t on the Marlins’ 40-man roster and will be available to other teams in the Rule 5 draft next month.

▪ MLB teams must make tender decisions on arbitration-eligible players by Friday, and Brian Anderson remains very much at risk of being non-tendered.

Anderson batted just .222 in 98 games this past season. At 29, the career .256 hitter might benefit from a fresh start.

▪ Here’s a game the whole family (of Marlins fans) can play: Who on this roster can you safely project as a starter next season, beyond second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr.?

A catching tandem of Jacob Stallings and Nick Fortes seems likely.

We hear Jorge Soler will be the designated hitter barring a trade; the Marlins don’t believe his back will necessarily hold up playing extensively in the outfield.

I expect Joey Wendle to start somewhere, potentially at third, unless he’s traded.

Miguel Rojas could be back for a fifth season at starting shortstop barring a trade; he’s under contract for next season but his name was mentioned in trade talks with the Yankees this past summer.

My sense is first base could be a combination of Garrett Cooper (unless he’s traded) and a player added via free agency or trade. Lewin Diaz was jettisoned this week.

The outfield remains an issue.

Avisail Garcia, with three years left on his four-year $53 million contract, likely will be given a second full season to prove last year was an aberration; he’s the front-runner for one corner outfield spot.

My sense is that a center fielder will be acquired via trade. Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds has interested the Marlins for years, but MLB Network’s John Morosi reported last week that he’s unlikely to be traded.

That would leave one outfield spot for Bryan De La Cruz or Jesus Sanchez, or perhaps a platoon if both have a good spring.

The bullpen assuredly will be addressed, and that process began Tuesday with the acquisition of Tampa Bay’s J.T. Chargois, who was 2-0 with a 2.42 ERA in 22 innings last season.

As far as pitchers who could be moved to address the outfield and first base (and possibly third), expect the Marlins to listen to offers on everyone except Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez.

I would expect Pablo Lopez and Trevor Rogers to be in play. The sense here is the Marlins might be more open to dealing Rogers, who has attracted interest. Lopez, who is under team control for two more years, is very close with Marlins ace and Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara.

▪ MLBtraderumors.com had four of its analysts predict landing spots for its top 50 free agents, and two players on the list were linked to the Marlins: San Diego’s Brandon Drury (who can play first, second, third and the corner outfield spots) and Houston corner outfielder Michael Brantley.

Drury hit .274 and 20 homers for Cincinnati last season, was dealt to the Padres at the deadline, but hit just .238 (with eight homers, 28 RBI) in 46 games for the Padres. So he finished 2022 at .263, .320 on base, 28 homers, 87 RBI in 138 games.

MLBtraderumors says “he’s a solid right-handed power bat who makes hard contact at an above-average clip. He can’t play shortstop, and he’s typically drawn average to slightly below-average marks for his defense at both second and third base. He’s a bat-first utilityman who can man any of first, second, third or the corner outfield as needed.”

Brantley hit .288, with five homers and 26 RBI in 64 games for the Astros before season-ending surgery to repair the labrum in his right shoulder. MLBtraderumors.com said Brantley “has some of the best bat-to-ball skills in MLB. A healthy Brantley might’ve challenged for another two-year deal, as he just keeps on hitting even as he enters his mid-30s. Coming off another shoulder operation, he might now have to settle for one year.”

The free agent center field class is dismal.

▪ Infielder Xavier Edwards, the second player acquired by the Marlins in Tuesday’s trade with Tampa Bay, had a drop-off offensively last season in his first season at Triple A and fourth in professional baseball.

Edwards batted .246 (.328 on base) with five homers, 33 RBI, seven steals in 11 attempts in 93 games at Durham. He hit .302 at Double A the previous season.

MLBtraderumors.com said the switch-hitting Edwards “draws praise for his top-of-the-line speed and has played almost exclusively in the middle infield as a professional. Edwards appeared among Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects during the 2019-20 offseason and ranked among the top ten in the strong Tampa Bay system as recently as this year.

“The 23-year-old seemed to stall out at Triple-A Durham this [past] season, however. Edwards would have been eligible for the Rule 5 draft if not added to the 40-man roster. Tampa Bay apparently wasn’t planning to do that, so they’ll deal him to a club that ostensibly is willing to put him on the roster.”

▪ At least three of the five pitchers added to the 40-man roster in the past week have a realistic chance to make the big-league team next spring.

Chargois, who has no closing experience, looks like a solid seventh-inning arm, potentially even deeper than that. He has a 2.49 ERA in 76 innings for Seattle and Tampa the past two seasons but missed two months last year with left oblique tightness.

Lefty Sean Reynolds, a former position player, converted to a pitcher in 2021 and had a 4.13 ERA at Pensacola and Beloit in 2022, with 10 saves and 66 strikeouts in 52 innings. He likely needs more time in the minors.

Lefty Josh Simpson struck out 23 in 12 1/3 innings with six runs allowed at Triple A Jacksonville, after producing a 3.88 ERA at Double A Pensacola. He could open next season at Triple A.

Right-hander George Soriano had a 2.49 ERA in 47 innings at Jacksonville and could compete for a Marlins bullpen job in the spring. He has a 3.29 ERA and 12 saves over five years in the minors.

Right-hander Eli Villalobos struck out 26 and had a 1.04 ERA in 17 1/3 innings in Jacksonville. He has 240 strikeouts in 191 minor league innings and also could win a big-league job in the spring.