Changes are coming to Marlins Park, as the team announced Wednesday that the fences will be moved in and new synthetic grass will be installed prior to Opening Day 2020. “In going through the process of evaluating the playing surface at Marlins Park in 2019, we set out to find a solution to combat the challenges we have experienced with growing natural grass in Marlins Park,” CEO Derek Jeter said in announcing a partnership with Shaw Sports Turf.
As far as the park dimensions, the center-field and right-center field walls will each be moved in by 12 feet, making the distance to straightaway center an even 400 feet, while the right-center power alley will now be 387 feet deep. “We made the decision to adjust the distance of the outfield fence, which will now be more in line with the field dimensions you see across many of today’s ballparks,” said Jeter.
Here’s more out of Miami…
- The Marlins are looking for free-agent outfielders who are willing to sign one- and two-year contracts as they look to bolster their lineup in 2020, writes Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Frisaro lists Avisail Garcia and Yasiel Puig as potential fits for the club, whereas Nicholas Castellanos, another appealing target, is likelier to secure a lengthier pact. Puig, of course, has a long and checkered history with manager Don Mattingly dating back to the pair’s days with the Dodgers, although presumably if talks between the two sides begin in earnest, they’ll work to bury whatever hard feelings (if any) still exist. Garcia, meanwhile, was linked to Miami last week, and the fit makes plenty of sense on paper; MLBTR predicted that Garcia would land with the Fish when ranking our top 50 free agents at the outset of the offseason. Recently non-tendered Steven Souza Jr., too, “will be explored” as a possibility, per Frisaro. The former Rays right fielder missed most of the past two seasons with the D-backs due to injury but topped 30 homers back in 2017.
- Frisaro also suggests that the Marlins will be in the market for a part-time catcher to pair with Jorge Alfaro, pointing out that free agent Francisco Cervelli and Jeter were teammates when Cervelli first arrived on the scene with the Yankees. The 33-year-old Cervelli’s career has been slowed considerably by concussions in recent seasons — including just a 48-game effort in 2019 due to concussion symptoms — but he hit .259/.378/.431 with the Pirates as recently as 2018 and has been an on-base machine throughout his career.
- The Marlins plan to utilize newly acquired Jonathan Villar in a super utility role rather than play him at just one position, as Mattingly explained to Kyle Sielaff and Paul Severino in a podcast appearance. In addition to his customary second base and shortstop, Villar figures to be deployed at third base and in the outfield at times. Jesus Aguilar, meanwhile, will be given ample opportunity to cement himself as the Marlins’ primary first baseman next season, Mattingly suggested. A return to 2018 form for Aguilar, who hit .274/.352/.539 with 35 homers that season, would be a particularly positive development for Miami. Unlike Villar, who is a free agent next winter, Aguilar can be controlled through the 2022 season.
Honestly sometimes it feels like the Marlins are a decade behind other teams, both in team performance and club management.
What are you talking about?
Can’t grow grass in Miami? BS. They want to have concerts and monster truck rally’s when the fish aren’t in town. Same sad story that is spreading across baseball.
It’s called a business. This is beneficial to the city, the local community
More like beneficial to the owners…..
And what’s wrong about that? Do you do nothing with your life to benefit yourself? Why hate on the person who tries to benefit themselves? And in this case, there’s a lot of positive spillovers to the city/community. Get over yourself and you’re hatred to the owners.
Because the person trying to benefit themself is already successful enough to have the luxury of owning a North American sports franchise. They’ve done enough benefitting for themselves, now it’s time to do something for the good of the franchise, not for the good of your pocket (aka greed).
Doing good things for the team’s financial health helps them put better players on the field for the fans enjoyment. What part of that is going completely over your head?
You’re right, they should just have baseball games in that stadium where they don’t even sell 10k tickets and eventually be forced to move the team, that’d make for a much less sad story.
Actually you can find evidence they had many issues with the center of CF. It took a lot of work. Remember most grass in Miami is a weed, not the natural grass you get used to on a green in a golf course. Even Hard Rock stadium has issues. Granted they fixed them, but the second they do anything on the field you can tell for a couple days. yes this buys them more opportunities for shows and monster jams, so i am not saying you are wrong. but it wasnt easy to get the grass down. i personally like this idea. People forget Miami Dade makes money from all Garage Parking and if you have a concert that sits 20k thats a lot of cars (and like most places its like at least $30 parking for one of those events), So you bet the city wants more events.
Miami has also been trying so hard for an Olympics. Thats probably a ways away if anything, but it helps that cause too.
MLB needs deeper ballparks, not more shallow. Tired of the juiced ball and short porches.
Is 387′ in the alley a short porch? 400′ in center?
In today’s game, yes.
I agree, mizz. Deeper outfields can lead to more extra base hits, which makes the game more exciting than boring home runs.
Amen. I like speed and defense, so I’m all for big outfields. Remember when Granderson had 20 triples in a year? Let’s make that kind of stat more common!
Making the dimensions of a ballpark hitter friendly is a double edged sword. The brass wants to attract big ticket FA bats but at the expense of FA pitchers because they know offense sells. On the other hand, the more HRs guys hit, the higher the price tag goes up for players already within their own organization, particularly damning for small market teams.
Ace vs Ace sells. Offense selling is a lie being fed to this generation. Great pitching, quick games, competitive at bats, all make the game more compelling. The scoring has increased yet less people watch baseball today despite the rise in population. Offense hasn’t kept people’s attention so I do not buy the notion offense sells. Certainly didn’t sell tickets in 2019.
Baseball doesn’t sell tickets.
Football sells less tickets.
75 inch Plasma TV’s in people’s living room do.
There’s more money in TV than the sports have ever seen. Debating if hitting or pitching is killing the game is failing to miss the big picture. The big picture in your living room…….
Show me the data that says attendance was higher only on game days with #1 v #1. That’s a bunch of BS. While aces are a draw, they pitch every fifth day. Fans go to see the Bryants, Arenados, Alonsos and Stantons of the game. Not the utility infielders that play punch n Judy.
Even though they are being moved in, I would assume they will still be the same tall walls they had previously.
Demolishing marlins park and moving the team to New Orleans or Portland would be an improvement.
Nashville
New Orleans couldn’t even retain their minor league team. Portland is a turd hole infested by radicals and junkies.
NLD’s suggestion of Nashville makes more sense.
“Radicals and junkies”
Ok boomer
Go pay a visit there and you’ll see for yourself.
Okay, youngster?
Oh yes, let’s resort to calling people names.
That always wins an
argument!
No need for that
Great arts community and one of the best environmental conscious cities
I’m not from Portland but have a close friend there and have visited. I think it’s nice there, and they love their Timbers MLS team. What do you mean by radicals and junkies? Seems a little harsh. Don’t the Dodgers, Giants, Cubs, CW Sox, Bombers and Mets and Red Sox all have similar demographics in their home cities? Why so harsh on Portland? Just curious ?
Portland is the only one of those cities that has funding put together and an agreement in place for a site of a new stadium.
Portland is an incredible sports city. Just ask the Trailblazers and the Timbers who play to sold out facilities every single game.
Now the mistake by the lake, that is a turd hole of a city.
Minor League teams move every 5 years. NOLA had the Brewers, astros and marlins affiliates. Id suggest Memphis, but thats braves country.
San Antonio/Austin area could use a team. Both top 20 cities in population in the US and growing fast, fairly wealthy, and with high Hispanic population so should have plenty of baseball fans. Plus you could win over all those alienated Astros fans.
How are Astros fans alienated? I live in Austin.
No way the local government pays for a
stadium and we are so strapped paying too high real estate prices we can barely afford to attend Express AAA games…..
Yikes, doesn’t sound good for Austin FC then.
MLB expansion teams will go to the largest media markets, not the areas with the biggest population.
Yasiel Puig? Did Frisaro not know about Mattingly’s relationship with Puig?
Im pretty sure its 12 feet total. Current center is 407 and right center is 392. So moving center in 7 feet to 400 and RC by 5 feet to 387.
I met Derek Jeter at a Starbucks in Tampa…he was coming out from the ladies bathroom. I haven’t been able to figure him out since. But the chick he was with was a DIME!
He was coming out of the ladies bathroom!!??
Sounds like he was coming in the ladies bathroom.
Yeah, he’s banging randoms at least once a day.
BRING BACK THE HOMERUN SCULPTURE YOU COWARDS
It’s on the outside of the stadium now and it works when ever a homerun is hit.
Outside of the stadium, where it should be.*
*not sarcasm
They must feel safer moving the fences in now that Chen is out of there.
They could’ve moved then back 20 ft all around and he’d still give dingers with all the mocos he throws.
Berti was giid as super utility last year. He may play a bunch if 2b as well, since Diaz couldnt make contact At All in his call-up. He will likely spend at least 200 PA in AAA throughout the season if not more
Actually a bit surprised the Marlins snagged Villar since one would figure they’re gunning for the Number 1 pick like the Orioles. At least they can point to moves like that and pretend they’re trying to field a competitive team, unlike the Orioles who, after the Bundy trade, now have Trey Mancini and John Means as the only players on their roster who posted an fWAR higher than 2 last season. At least the Marlins have the decency to field 3 above average players.
“Souza Jr., too, will be explored”
Man, the writing here sometimes…
Sorry mark, how’s retirement going for you?
The Villar move is brilliant. They send away Chen, eating 20 million plus, to add a player going to make 10 million plus. Now they can be like “What we spent money what are you talking about?” If he works out you trade him for something of value. If he is bad, then oh well you looked good doing it.
They should just make the dimensions like Yankee stadium because of Derek Jeter.
How many think that the real reason they are moving the fences in, is to save money on the synthetic grass they’re going to install? This is the (Marlins) way.
Hmmmm…move fence in to add more seats that are more expensive than the patches of turf that will be gone…and all so fans that would already be in the stadium anyway, will have a place to sit instead of standing in the balcony areas?
Sounds like good logic to me if you’re trying to save money.
Sheesh…some of you need to stop listening to what E!SPN and FOX Sports tell you about the Marlins.