Veteran MLB scout sizes up several Marlins players, prospects. And the first base dilemma

As the Marlins continue down this disappointing path — very likely to miss the playoffs for the 27th time in their 30-year history — we solicited input from a veteran scout who has evaluated the Marlins and their top minor-league teams this season.

Some feedback from the scout, who requested anonymity because he’s not permitted to discuss another team’s players:

▪ On outfielder JJ Bleday, who’s hitting .215 with three homers and four RBI and a .303 on-base percentage in 89 plate appearances with the Marlins after batting .229 with 20 homers and 52 RBI in 89 games at Triple A Jacksonville: “They’ve extracted some power out of him but compromised his hitting. He’s got power to all fields, can walk, understands the strike zone.

“He’s not a middle-of-the-order hitter. He’s best served defensively in left or right.

“He seems to have turned the corner in that he’s shown a level of production. But one thing that’s constantly changing with him that’s concerning is he has a different hand load, a different move to the ball every time I’ve seen him. He has got to be consistent.”

▪ On outfielder Peyton Burdick, who’s hitting .171 (6 for 35) with the Marlins after batting .229, 14 homers, 51 RBI in 88 games at Jacksonville: “Looks like a platoon outfielder that can play all three spots. Or a fourth outfielder. I don’t see him as an everyday big-league player.

“He handles everything middle in with authority. Middle away, he runs out of barrel. The inability to cover the plate concerns me. There are things that could help him, maybe moving him closer to the plate.”

▪ On outfielder Jesus Sanchez, whose average dropped from .250 last season to .205 this season before his demotion to Jacksonville, where he’s off to a 4-for-28 start: “He’s got major-league tools, but his ability to process and read and react haven’t been good this year. His timing looks off; he’s in between pitches a lot. The athletic ability is there. He needs winter ball. Next year you’ll get definitive answers on him.”

▪ On the disappointing seasons of outfielders Avisail Garcia (.232, 7 homers, 30 RBI in 88 games) and Jorge Soler (.207, 13, 34 in 72 games and now out long-term with a back injury), the scout said we shouldn’t be surprised because of the variation in their performance historically.

“And there’s no protection, so you don’t have to pitch to them like you would in a better lineup. So you end up pitching around them” and getting them to chase balls out of the zone, which has happened a lot with both.

▪ On catcher Jacob Stallings’ disappointing season: “The question is has the position worn him down where it has impacted the bat and” ability to throw out runners.

His caught stealing percentage has dropped from 21 percent with the Pirates last season to 16 percent, and his average has dipped from .246 with Pittsburgh in 2021 to .221 with the Marlins.

▪ On Brian Anderson: “Good player, but when you take a young player and are trying to move him all over before he’s an established hitter, sometimes the bat is going to become compromised, and that might have happened here.

“If you put this guy in one spot from the beginning — tell him, ‘you are the third baseman and you are going to hit in the fifth, sixth hole’ — he has the ability to be a productive big leaguer. Not great, but productive. I’ve always thought you have to keep him in one spot to get the best offensively.”

▪ He said the team lacks discipline and fire and makes too many mental mistakes. “Joey Wendle, Jon Berti, give me more of those guys,” the scout said.

▪ On lefty Trevor Rogers: “He’s become one-side-of-the-plate dimensional. A year ago, he was hitting both sides.”

▪ On lefty Braxton Garrett: “They’ve lowered his slot. He looks tough and confident. His slider is better than his curveball. I think he has a chance to be a fourth starter.”

▪ On pitcher Max Meyer, before the Tommy John surgery: “I see a reliever, and I don’t see a high-leverage reliever. I see a seventh-inning reliever that might be able to snake into the eighth. He has to get most of his outs with his slider, because his fastball is going to play very mediocre with big-league hitters in my opinion. We’ll see.”

▪ On pitcher Eury Perez, who has a 4.19 ERA in 16 starts at Jacksonville and is now out with a shoulder issue: “He’s impressive. Legit starter; probably a third starter in a good rotation. Very athletic. Big bodied but a simple delivery.”

▪ On outfielder Jerar Encarnacion, who hit a grand slam in his Marlins debut and is hitting .262, .330 OBP, 13 homers, 38 RBI in 66 games at Jacksonville: “Big fan. He’s on the come. He’s not a fast-track major-league guy. [Last month] in a rehab start by [two-time Cy Young winner Jacob DeGrom], he hits a laser to right center. He has a rocket for an arm. He might need two years in Triple A. But there’s something to like here. He has a chance to be a productive corner outfielder.”

▪ On first baseman Lewin Diaz, who’s off to a .138 start with the Marlins: “I like Lewin; he’s an above-average defender. Can catch, throw, has range. Has a smooth, effortless swing. But a low-energy dial.

“At some point, he’s going to have to speed up his body tempo to catch up to major-league stuff. It’s how he’s wired — nonchalant, easy. At some point, he has to be easy faster than he is. But there’s something there to work with.”

FIRST BASE ISSUE

After the Marlins failed to find a taker for first baseman Jesus Aguilar at the trade deadline, some in baseball thought he might be designated for assignment. After all, the Red Sox designated Jackie Bradley Jr. after they found no takers for him, and the Phillies parted ways with shortstop Didi Gregorius.

But even though general manager Kim Ng said the Marlins want to evaluate Diaz, they have opted to keep Aguilar, who’s hitting just .237 and whose $10 million mutual option for 2023 will assuredly be declined by the team.

So the Marlins are juggling Aguilar, Diaz, and Garrett Cooper at first base while lacking a clear-cut starter for 2023.

Diaz, by far the best defender of the three, hasn’t yet displayed an ability to hit big-league pitching. He’s batting .177, with a .230 on base average, eight homers and 18 RBI in 74 games and 243 big-league plate appearances over small segments of three seasons.

It appears the Marlins are committed to playing him against right-handed pitching the rest of the season, though he sat against Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler in a game last week.

Fieldingbible.com ranks each player using the metric “DRS” or defensive runs saved. Aguilar currently sits at -5 DRS which is next to last in baseball. Cooper, is at -3, which is below average.

The Marlins know Diaz can defend, but it’s not yet clear if he can consistently hit major-league pitching, and his offensive performance against teams out of the playoff race in September won’t give the Marlins an accurate gauge about whether they can safely project him as a 2023 part-time starter.

Cooper, who made the NL All-Star team, still leads the Marlins in batting average (.272) and is second to Jazz Chisholm Jr. in OPS (.765) but has not found his power stroke this season.

His seven homers rank fifth on the team, and hasn’t hit one in more than a month. Cooper — who is arbitration eligible this winter — has been getting less playing time; he wasn’t used Sunday against the Braves and Monday against the Padres.

Herald senior baseball correspondent Craig Mish hosts Fantasy Sports Today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Newswire from 2 to 3 p.m. weekdays on Sportsgrid. Follow him on Twitter at @CraigMish. Follow Barry Jackson at @flasportsbuzz