Notable comments about some of Marlins’ top arms, including potential role change for one

Part 5 of a six-part series on the Miami Marlins’ latest rebuild and where the franchise goes from here.

As the Marlins’ complete Year 5 of the new ownership group’s rebuild, there are two big concerns: the organization’s lack of quality position players and the enormous disparity between their payroll and the other four teams in the National League East.

But here’s one big positive: Much of the young pitching has developed. Health provided, the Marlins have the components for an above-average big league rotation, headlined by Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, Edward Cabrera much-improved Jesus Luzardo.

But there are some questions beyond ace Alcantara, who’s a strong candidate for the National League Cy Young award.

Lopez — under team control for two more seasons — might be traded for offensive help; the Marlins and Yankees exchanged offers before the trade deadline.

The Marlins also might get inquiries about Luzardo; if he’s dealt (which would be a surprise), this would be selling with his value at its highest.

Sixto Sanchez, Max Meyer and Jake Eder all have had serious injuries. Sanchez hasn’t pitched since 2020 and is having another surgery; Meyer will miss the 2022 season after Tommy John surgery and Eder missed this past season after Tommy John surgery.

Trevor Rogers regressed considerably this season.

The Marlins’ other two top pitching prospects — Eury Perez and Cabrera — are still works in progress. Cabrera pitched well, producing a 3.01 ERA in 14 starts for the Marlins in the second half of the season. Perez hasn’t made his Major League debut.

Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. assessed the pitchers rated first (Perez), second (Meyer) and 11th (Sanchez) on the Marlins’ 2022 preseason top 30 MLB.com prospect list.

He and outgoing manager Don Mattingly also shared thoughts on Cabrera and Braxton Garrett, who both showed considerable improvement:

▪ Stottlemyre on Cabrera: “He’s got a monster ceiling. A lot of the same things I saw with Sandy I see in this kid. As we know, it took Sandy quite awhile to show what he’s capable of doing and who he’s become. Four years I’ve been here with Sandy. I think a lot of the same things with this kid [Cabrera].

“We definitely haven’t seen the finished product. We’ve seen glimpses of really, really good stuff. The approach part, we’re still working through that. That’s a work in progress.”

And now? The priorities are “just getting him to trust his stuff. Trust his fastball and what he has within him, without trying to get him to do too much. And the trust factor, that takes time.

“What I really like about him is he cares and he hasn’t settled for just being OK. He wants to get better. I give some credit to Sandy with that. And his work in between [starts] has been really good. Look, it’s going to take some time. This guy is going to be a dude.”

The view here: Unless it’s for an overwhelming package, don’t trade Cabrera for offensive help. The skill set is too tantalizing.

▪ Even before Meyer needed Tommy John surgery last month, some scouts have said they believe Meyer is better suited to be a reliever than starter. The Marlins’ front office has said they view him as a starter.

What does Stottlemyre think?

“I haven’t been around him a lot, but if I didn’t know anything about him and was out watching him and looking at his tools and how he attacks and how he’s wired, it probably leans more on a bullpen guy. It’s a little bit max effort [with his delivery]. He comes at you with a slider. It’s two really, really good pitches and one wipeout pitch.

“He doesn’t have a lot of pro innings. I never like to pin a guy down into one or the other too early. But in fairness, you’ve got to give him time as a starter, see how his changeup develops, see how he reacts to getting through the lineup three times and where his adjustments are. He is wired a lot like a bullpen guy.”

Meyer allowed five runs in six innings in parts of two Marlins starts, after posting a 3.88 ERA in 12 starts at Triple A Jacksonville.

MLB.com said “the next step will be refining his command. While there’s no reason he shouldn’t pitch in the front half of a big-league rotation, his stuff and competitive makeup could make him a lights-out closer if so desired.”

▪ Sanchez: He hasn’t pitched in a game two years because of shoulder problems, and where he goes from here is anybody’s guess. On Wednesday, he will undergo undergo arthroscopic bursectomy surgery on his throwing shoulder; the hope is he will be ready by the start of next season.

Stottlemyre’s view on Sanchez: “I’ve told people this: I’ve had Max Scherzer, I’ve had Felix Hernandez [two former Cy Young winners], I’ve had some great ones, including Sandy.

“Sixto probably has as good a feel as any young pitcher I’ve ever had that has come to the big leagues as quick as he has with electric weapons that can pitch the way that he does.

“If I ask him to change his hand position on a pitch, it comes easy and quick. It’s special. It really is. We’ve got to find a way to get him healthy, because that stuff he has is only as good as his ability to stay healthy.”

The key player acquired in the J.T. Realmuto trade with Philadelphia remains very much an unknown, because of a history of shoulder trouble.

His career big-league numbers, all from 2020: 3-2, 3.46 ERA in seven starts.

He missed all of the 2021 season after hurting his shoulder in March and having surgery to repair a small tear in his posterior capsule in July.

▪ Perez: The right-hander is rated by MLB.com the 10th best prospect in baseball.

“I’ve watched him a lot,” Stottlemyre said. “He’s obviously been the talk of the organization. Simple delivery, great stuff, pitchability. I watched Felix as an 18-year-old in Double A. They’re different, but they’re a lot alike in terms of where they were in their development. This guy is not too far away.

“Clayton Kershaw, I saw him come up from Double A and come up to the big leagues and struggle a little bit. Those are two giants. Scherzer came quick. Without him pitching in the big leagues, it’s hard to put him in that category. But he’s headed down that path.

“The thing I love about him is as big as he is [6-8], he’s got power to his stuff, but he repeats his delivery. Big guys have a lot of moving parts and sometimes things get away from them, and they’re not able to get them back. Man, he’s special.

“The organization is going to have to be patient with him. We need to let him check all the boxes off in player development. When they come up to this level, there are other challenges that he never even dreamed of attacking and having to deal with.”

This season, Perez had a 4.08 ERA in 17 starts at Double A Pensacola, with 106 strikeouts, 62 hits allowed and 25 walks in 75 innings. He tied a minor-league record by striking out the first eight batters in Pensacola’s final game of the season, as the Blue Wahoos won the Southern League title.

Last season, he had a 1.61 ERA in 15 starts at Jupiter.

MLB.com said “Perez produces his intriguing stuff with a smooth delivery and little effort. He keeps his long limbs in sync with outstanding body control for someone his size and age and locates his pitches where he wants. He excelled while facing much older competition, exuding maturity and mound presence, and should continue to move rapidly.”

▪ Garrett impressed the organization, posting a 3.56 ERA in 16 starts, with 83 strikeouts in 83 innings.

He had a 5.30 ERA in nine previous starts in the big leagues.

“This guy probably has grown more than any of our other guys this year,” Mattingly said. “He kind of changed his arm angle just a little bit in the offseason. He’s throwing a two seam now, with a four, two breaking balls and a changeup.

“He’s showed he can get the ball to all parts of the plate and away from lefties and righties and he can go up and down. This guy is really competitive and smart and picks things up. He may have made some of the biggest jumps this year as far as saying this guy has a chance to pitch in the big leagues for a while.”

The view here: Either trade the Garrett for a position player while his value is up, or go into next season projecting him as a back-end starter.

Here’s Part 1 of the series on whatever happened to the Marlins’ top 35 position players during this regime, and how few so far have worked out.

Here’s Part 2 of the series on the team’s top 10 position prospects and the team’s growing payroll disparity within their division.

Here’s Part 3 of the series on some of the other position prospects.

Here’s Part 4 on how the Marlins plan to fundamentally change the way they construct their team offensively.