Treanor Hurt, John Baker Up

Matt Treanor looks like he'll be going to the DL. He injured an abdominal muscle last night while trying to avoid being hit by a ground ball...the outcome? The ball hit him and he hurt himself. Double whammy.

This puts the Marlins catching situation in an interesting spot. Treanor's hitting may have been mediocre (at best), but his fielding was spectacular. His presence behind the plate will be sorely missed.

I thought Mike Rabelo might be recalled, but it seems the Marlins want him to work things out. That's the right move. Instead, the popular John Baker will get his big shot. I'm not sure what the distribution of starts will be between Hoover and Baker, but I wouldn't be surprised if Baker gets a good number.

Matt Birnbach - a longtime Baker proponent - provides us with some commentary on John Baker:

"John Baker trained hard this off season trying to get in shape for Marlins camp and maybe an outside shot at making the team. He didn’t see too many at bats in Spring games as he lost out to Matt Treanor and Paul Hoover (Mike Rabelo had to rehab in the minors first.) As of his calling up, he was hitting .316/.394/.492 with 21 extra base hits (6hr) in 193 at bats. Against lefties, he was hitting .382/.443/.455 in 55 at bats.

It will be interesting to see what the 27 year old rookie can do. It’s been a long time coming for him, and if he gets off to a hot start, he might have himself a job for awhile."

Rabelo Sent Down, Hoover Up

We at The South Florida Fan haven't exactly been the biggest fans of Mike Rabelo. Unfortunately for Rabelo, it had little to do with him. I was frustrated with the Marlins' insistence on asserting Rabelo as a marquee member of the Cabrera-Willis trade, despite no evidence to prove he was worth anything.

It's been a steep descent for Rabelo. He went from having the starting job, to becoming Treanor's backup, to now starting for AAA Albuquerque. To make matters worse, this comes on the heels of a mind-numbing bungle in his last Major League game (he forgot to tag the runner at home, thinking there was a force). For the sake of his career and his confidence, I hope that doesn't stand as his last day in the Majors.

In the meantime, Paul Hoover comes up to take his place. This not only solidifies Treanor's role as the lead catcher, but also gives him a greater share of the starts. Hoover is in tonight, but expect Treanor in nearly every game from tomorrow onwards.

Rabelo's Back...Are We Gonna Be In Trouble?

The Marlins Organization's praise for Mike Rabelo is almost as astounding as it is ludicrous. Some attribute this to an attempt to save face; he was the third biggest name in the Cabrera-Willis trade, behind Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin. Personally, I hope that's the reason, but I'm not so sure.

I'm legitimately worried that the team is overvaluing him. It's really quite baffling. He was never considered a major prospect, and he's done nothing in his minor league career (or extremely limited major league career) to suggest he's anything more than a career backup.

Why not make him earn a spot, let alone start a few games? It's not like Paul Hoover wasn't getting it done. As Fish Stripes espouses:

"That's right the Marlins are bringing up a catcher who hit .200/.250/.267 in class A during rehab and sending down one who was batting .429 in the majors. "

That just about sums up my feelings on this absurd situation. Matt Treanor may not be a powerhouse of a hitter, but at least he plays good defense. I'd rather take his hole in the lineup than a lesser black hole.

Marlins Weekly Hitter Evaluations

This probably won't become a weekly fixture. I may choose to review the team monthly as the numbers settle in a bit more, but the first week is easily the most exciting time for an evaluation.

Just ask all the fantasy baseball owners who follow their teams to the death in Week 1, then forget about them. Have a great week in April and you're immortalized! Have a great week in August and few notice. That's the way of first impressions. Anyway, on to the review.

1. Hanley Ramirez: .440/.533/.800, 7R, 5RBI, 2HR, 1SB - These numbers are ridonculous! Perhaps he could run more, but it's hard to argue about a lack of steals with this kind of production.
Full Season Projection: 162R, 116RBI, 46HR, 23SB (I think we'd take that)
Grade: A+

2. Dan Uggla: .143/.226/.357, 2HR, 3R, 4RBI 9K - Hidden behind Uggla's two moonshots has been a horrendous start. It's only a week, so let's not get carried away. His biggest problem is that he's swinging for the fences too much.
Full Season Projection: 46HR, 69R, 93RBI (Deceptive totals with Hanley on base so much)
Grade: D+

3. Mike Jacobs: .179/.207/.393, 2HR, 4R, 5RBI - The numbers don't look good, but if you can get past the first 3 games, you'll see he's been much better. With a walkoff shot and a grand slam to his name, we'll give him a pass.
Full Season Projection: 46HR, 93R, 116RBI (Not bad totals, but needs more hits and walks)
Grade: B-

4. Josh Willingham: .207/.233/.414, 2HR, 4R, 4RBI - Hermida joins Uggla and Jacobs in the category of great slugging/bad OBP. His hitting has also been timely, but he needs to get on base more.
Full Season Projection: 46HR, 93R, 93RBI (Decent totals)
Grade: C

5. Jorge Cantu: .241/.241/.276, 1R - Perhaps Cantu has seemed better because I expected nothing out of him. Bad defense and atrocious offense should have Helms, Andino, or the surging McPherson in his place soon. 0 walks doesn't help.
Full Season Projection: 0HR, 69R, 0RBI
Grade: F

6. Luis Gonzalez: .263/.333/.526, 1HR, 2Doubles - One of this season's surprises so far, geriatric Gonzo might be perfect in a starter/bench role, after all. I expected much worse.
Full Season Projection: 27HR, 54 doubles, 27R, 27RBI (Fine for limited PT)
Grade: A-

7. Cody Ross: .125/.125/.188 - He's been hurt, so let's not judge him too harshly. I know I join the good folks at codyross.org in hoping he picks things up.
Full Season Projection: 23 Doubles
Grade: F

8. Alfredo Amezaga: .357/.500/.500, 2R, 3RBI, 4BB - How about that OBP!!! If Amezaga can continue to draw walks at this rate, it won't matter when the average falls.
Full Season Projection: 46R, 69RBI, 92BB
Grade: A+

9. Matt Treanor: .235/.278/.235, 2R, 1RBI - Not exactly a great start, but his defense has been solid. No power here whatsoever.
Full Season Projection: 64R, 32RBI, 32SB (not happening)
Grade: D+

10. Paul Hoover: .429/.429/.571, 1R - Very limited appearances, but he's made the most of them at the plate. Unfortunately, he's been pretty bad behind the plate, which is why he'll need to keep hitting like this to stay on the squad.
Full Season Projection: 79R, 79 Doubles
Grade: A-

11. Robert Andino: .600/.600/.1800, 2HR, 2R, 3RBI - Yes, it's only 5 AB, but that's more than most regulars have done. The Great Andino is due for a start at 3B.
Full Season Projection: 64HR, 64R, 96RBI
Grade: A+

Others:
Brett Carroll - 1 for 8 wasn't going to keep him on the squad
Jason Wood - Nothing in 2 AB
Wes Helms - Just getting started

MVP: Hanley Ramirez
Most Improved: Robert Andino
LVP: Jorge Cantu
Most Likely to Improve: Cody Ross
Most Likely to Decline: Alfredo Amezaga
Most Likely to Break Out: Dan Uggla
Who to Watch: Jeremy Hermida