Reddit AMA: No Arquette this spring? Gus behind the dish?

On Friday, Marlins club reporter Christina De Nicola conducted an AMA (ask me anything) on Reddit. You can read the full transcript here. Here are some highlights, edited lightly for clarity and brevity:

Not that anyone expected Aiva Arquette to win a roster spot, but why did he not receive an invite to Spring Training to see what he's got so far? Is ST playing time that valuable this year that they want to focus on players that will more likely contribute in the Majors this season?

The Marlins challenged Arquette, the seventh overall pick in last summer’s Draft, by sending him to High-A Beloit to begin his professional career. They did the same with Cam Cannarella (Competitive Balance Round A) and Brandon Compton (second round). I took a look at last year’s NRI list to compare it to this year’s, and it consisted of Double-A and Triple-A talent.

Reps can be hard to come by at big league camp, which is mainly used for projected starters to obtain enough at-bats ahead of Opening Day and for prospects that could impact the Majors to get their feet wet.

On the 40-man roster alone, the Marlins will need to find time for Otto Lopez, Javier Sanoja, Maximo Acosta and Jared Serna. Lopez going to play for Canada at the World Baseball Classic will allow prospects Acosta and Serna extended looks. The same goes for NRIs Johnny Olmstead and Jesus Bastidas, both of whom appeared at the Triple-A level this past season. Arquette could very well be brought over from Minor League camp to be part of the travel roster at some point this spring.

How long will the Agustín Ramírez catcher experience last?

What do you think we can expect from Gus behind the plate this year? The organization believes in his ability to improve, which is reassuring, but I don't need to state his issues defensively in 2025. Have you heard much regarding the strides he's made behind the dish?

One of the biggest storylines of spring and the early part of the season will concern how Ramírez looks behind the dish. When the Marlins traded for him, they called him a catcher. They would love nothing more for him to prove them right. The organization will give Ramírez an adequate amount of time to show he has improved defensively before moving on. Should Miami need to do so, it would likely open up prospect Joe Mack’s promotion. If Ramírez shows at least marginal gains, he could be trusted to serve as the backup catcher and start one or two times a week.

Have you heard any truth about the rumors of wearing the teal alternate jerseys on Sundays?

Let's just say it wouldn’t hurt to be at Marlins FanFest at 7:45 p.m on Feb. 7.

If you were a betting girl, who do you think will be the first baseman on Opening Day and/or for the majority of the season?

My guess is Christopher Morel is the Opening Day first baseman since the Marlins signed him as a low-risk, high-reward flier to fill that role. However, he has never played the position in his professional career, and if that experiment doesn’t pan out, I can’t imagine they stick with it for too long. First base could become a platoon situation or a revolving door like in 2025. Wouldn’t it be nice if prospect Deyvison De Los Santos showcased enough improved plate discipline to receive the majority of the first-base reps by season’s end?

With the influx of bats in the outfield, what do you expect from young talents who may not have a path forward for the Fish? I.e. Fenwick Trimble, Kemp Alderman, Dillon Lewis, Brendan Jones, Brandon Compton, Cam Cannarella, Andres Valor are all 22 or 23 and the young core seems relatively set.

Alderman is the organization’s reigning Minor League Player of the Year and the only one you mentioned at the Triple-A level, so he is ahead in his development compared to the others. Another thing going for him: He’s a right-handed bat, and the 40-man roster is left-handed-heavy with Kyle Stowers, Jakob Marsee, Owen Caissie, Griffin Conine and Victor Mesa Jr.

The young core might seem relatively set, but you never know how things will pan out. The 28-year-old Stowers broke out in 2025, becoming one of the Majors’ better hitters, but it was still just a 117-game sample. His previous 117 saw opposite results. Marsee only has 55 games on his resume. Both are more than capable of recreating last season’s success, but it’s not guaranteed.

Quite a few of the names you listed are still in the lower levels of the Minors. Guys will progress and regress. A player’s path is rarely linear. Alderman is a perfect example. Things tend to work themselves out with time.