Marlins hold first full-squad Spring Training workout

JUPITER, Fla. (WSVN) – The Miami Marlins held their first full-squad Spring Training workout at the Roger Dean Stadium complex, Monday.

Pitchers and catchers reported to the Jupiter facility last Wednesday.

Outfielder Lewis Brinson said, “Everybody is excited to finally get out there and knock the rust off.”

The Marlins are in the second year of a rebuild. The franchise has the 40-man roster and 26 non-roster invitees in Jupiter this year. The Fish will reduce the roster down to 25 players by Spring Training’s end in six weeks.

The 2018 Marlins finished with a 63-98 record, the third-worst record in the league ahead of the Kansas City Royals (58-104) and the Baltimore Orioles (47-115).

During the 2018-2019 offseason, the Marlins traded All-Star Catcher J.T. Realmuto to the Philadelphia Phillies for pitcher Sixto Sanchez, catcher Jorge Alfaro and pitcher Will Stewart. The Fish also signed veteran outfielder Curtis Granderson, first-baseman Pedro Alvarez and second-baseman Neil Walker. The Marlins also signed international free agents Victor Victor Mesa and Victor Mesa Jr., his brother, during the winter.

“I think that that we all expect to compete in every game,” third-baseman Brian Anderson said. “You know, we’re not gonna win every game, we’re not gonna lose every game.”

Marlins owners Derek Jeter and Bruce Sherman attended the first full-team workout of the year.

“Competition eliminates complacency. That’s the bottom line,” Jeter said. “You have to take the field to keep your job every year. That’s the approach I took as a player, and that’s the approach we’re going to have in this organization.”

Sherman expects the Marlins decisions made during the 2018-2019 offseason would “become increasingly popular and increasingly supported over the next two years.”

“I’m really excited about what is in store about the future of this organization,” Granderson said.

“I’m pretty excited to see how everybody prepares for this year,” shortstop Miguel Rojas said. “I can see the excitement around the clubhouse with people trying to make this a great experience and make this a great organization for a long time.”

The Marlins will play their first Spring Training game versus the St. Louis Cardinals on Feb. 23. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.

The Marlins will open their 2019 season on March 28 at Marlins Park versus the Colorado Rockies.

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