Marlins' mid-innings 'pen picture 'evolving'

MIAMI -- All MLB rosters must be finalized by noon ET on Thursday, and the Marlins still have some decisions to make regarding their bullpen.

Aside from expected closer Brandon Kintzler, Yimi García and non-roster invitee Brad Boxberger, manager Don Mattingly said plenty of uncertainty remains when it comes to his club's bullpen.

Those three are expected to handle the late innings.

“That’s kind of where we’re at right now,” Mattingly said on a Zoom call Wednesday afternoon. “I’d like it to be more settled, but at this moment, I can’t say it’s that settled in the middle of that ‘pen.”

Bullpen questions were magnified in Tuesday’s 10-9 loss to the Braves at Truist Park. Miami let an 8-1, eighth-inning lead slip away, largely because lefty Adam Conley and right-hander Robert Dugger combined to walk four despite the big lead.

After the Marlins tied it in the ninth, the Braves walked off with the win on Matt Adams’ two-out homer off prospect Alex Vesia.

“We’ve got to find more guys we can trust besides three guys -- guys who are going to throw strikes, who are going to attack,” Mattingly said. "That will be evolving.”

With 30-man rosters for the first two weeks of the season, the Marlins will carry either 16 or 17 pitchers, so they will have either 11 or 12 relievers.

“We’ll start with those three guys, probably, in the back,” Mattingly said. “Out of our lefties, Vesia is throwing the ball probably as good as anybody. We’ve got to make a decision there.”

Mattingly to have a quicker hook
Because it was an exhibition game, the Marlins can shrug off Tuesday’s loss and move forward. But watching a big lead disappear brings to light a question Mattingly and the staff will face in a 60-game season: How quickly should they replace pitchers?

With so much importance on each game, Mattingly expects to have a quicker hook with pitchers.

“If that were the regular season, that leaves a mark,” Mattingly said. “That’s a game that we pretty much dominated all day. We swung the bats good, our pitching was good, we put ourselves in a great position to win the game. If you lose a game like that, that leaves a mark.”

The Marlins plan on making faster decisions regarding their pitchers who are showing signs of struggling, even with a large lead.

“I look at that quick hook as much with the starters, too,” Mattingly said. “I think you’ve got to be a little more aggressive through the course of the season. That doesn’t mean every day you’re going to do that, but I think you’ve got to be a little more aggressive.”

Sandy ‘100 percent’ ready
A starter the Marlins are banking on to work effectively deep into games is Sandy Alcantara.

Already named the Opening Day starter for Friday night's game at Philadelphia, Alcantara paced the club in 2019 with 32 starts and 197 1/3 innings.

The 24-year-old right-hander, an All-Star last year, is in his third season with the Marlins. He says he’s ready to go.

“I’m 100 percent ready,” Alcantara said. “I can’t wait to be outside on Friday.”

The Marlins say Alcantara has developed all the traits of an ace, starting with his work habits and the way he carries himself in the clubhouse.

“I’m trying to be a leader,” Alcantara said. “I see a lot of young guys coming behind me, and they follow me. I think they are trying to be like me. I have to keep working and showing them that they can be like me, too.”

Second-rounder signs
The Marlins announced the signing of their second-round pick, left-hander Daxton Fulton out of Mustang (Okla.) High School.

Fulton’s bonus, according to MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis, is $2.4 million, well above the slot value for the 40th overall pick ($1,856,700).

Fulton recently completed his physical, then attended the Marlins’ final Summer Camp workout at Marlins Park on Monday.

Up next
After wrapping up their two-game exhibition set at Atlanta on Wednesday, the Marlins head to Philadelphia in preparation for Opening Day against the Phillies on Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET on MLB.TV. Alcantara will be making his first Opening Day start and going up against Phillies righty Aaron Nola. The Marlins will hold a workout at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday.