Sure, owner Jeff Loria thought of firing Gonzalez because the Marlins didn’t make the playoffs despite him providing the manager with the smallest payroll in major league baseball. That would have been the dumbest move Loria has ever made as the owner of the Marlins. Gonzalez led the Marlins to a 85-77 record (53.7%) in 2009. In three years with the Marlins, Gonzalez has a 242-243 record (49.9%) which is pretty solid seeing what he has been given to work with.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE MANAGER IN 2010: A

The Florida Marlins have their fingers crossed about the bullpen in 2010. 26-year old righty Leo Nunez will go into the season as the closer. He pitched in 75 games (0 starts) for the Marlins last season and he was 4-6 with 26 saves, a 4.06 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. He whiffed 60 hitters in 68 2/3 innings last season so he has the stuff to succeed. He only gave up 59 hits last season but a stunning 13 of them went over the fence. If Nunez can’t keep the ball in the park in 2010 he won’t keep the closers job.

28-year old lefty Dan Meyer came out of nowhere last season for the Marlins. He pitched in 71 games (0 starts) for the Marlins last season and he was 3-2 with 2 saves, a 3.09 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. He only gave up 47 hits in 58 1/3 innings while whiffing 56 batters as he was put into situations that gave him a good chance to succeed in 2009. In his three years before 2009 in the majors he pitched in 19 games (7 starts) in which he was 0-6 with a 7.63 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP.

27-year old Renyel Pinto will be the 2nd lefty in the pen for the Marlins in 2010. Pinto pitched in 73 games (0 starts) for the Marlins last season and he was 4-1 with a 3.23 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP. He walked 45 batters while only allowing 53 hits in 61 1/3 innings last season. If he can just cut down on his walks a bit he would be even more effective than he is right now. Pinto has pitched in 224 games (0 starts) in his 4 years with the Marlins and he is 8-10 with 2 saves, a 3.70 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP.

31-year old righty Brian Sanches, like Meyer, came out of nowhere for the Marlins in 2009. He pitched in 47 games (0 starts) for the Marlins last year and he was 4-2 with a 2.56 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. Sanches pitched in 42 games (0 starts) in his three years in the majors before 2009 and he was 3-1 with a 6.13 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP.

27-year old righty Burke Badenhop has been the best player the Marlins got in the Miguel Cabrera/Dontrelle Willis trade so far. He pitched in 35 games (2 starts) for the Marlins last season and he was 7-4 with a 3.75 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. In his two years with the Marlins, Badenhop has pitched in 48 games (10 starts) in which he is 9-7 with a 4.68 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP.

33-year old righty Scott Strickland might be this years find for the Marlins in the pen. He pitched in 50 games (0 starts) in AAA-ball last season and he was 2-1 with 32 saves, a 2.98 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. Strickland has not pitched in the majors since 2006 with the Astros. Strickland has pitched in 236 games (0 starts) in his major league career and he is 12-21 with 20 saves, a 3.34 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. He has without a doubt the best career major league numbers of any reliever in Marlins’ camp this spring.

29-year old righty Jose Veras will also likely have a solid shot of making the Marlins’ pen in 2010. He pitched in 47 games (0 starts) for the Yankees & Indians last season in which he was 4-3 with a 5.19 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. Veras only gave up 42 hits in 50 1/3 innings last season showing that he has decent stuff. But, he gave up 8 homers and walked 28 batters which helps explain his ERA and WHIP in 2009.

29-year old righty Seth McClung certainly looks the part when he’s warming up as he has electric stuff. But when he’s on the mound in live games he just doesn’t seem to have it. McClung pitched in 41 games (2 starts) for the Brewers last season and he was 3-3 with a 4.94 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP. He walked 39 hitters in only 62 innings pitched as he just has never been able to find the plate.

31-year old Chris Schroder will also get a chance with the Marlins at some point in 2010. He pitched in 45 games (1 start) in AAA-ball last year and he was 3-1 with 3 saves, a 2.22 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. In his three years in the majors he has pitched in 62 games (0 starts) in which he is 2-5 with a 4.46 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BULLPEN IN 2010: C-

The oldest pitcher in the starting rotation for 2010 will be 27-year old Ricky Nolasco and that’s a good thing for the Marlins. 26-year old righty Josh Johnson will be the Marlins’ #1 starter in 2010. Johnson started 33 games for the Marlins last season in which he was 15-5 with a 3.23 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. He only allowed 184 hits in 209 innings last season for the Marlins while whiffing 191 batters showing how nasty his stuff is. Johnson made the All-Star team in 2009 for the Marlins and I look for him to do it again in 2010 if he can just stay healthy which has been a problem for him so far in his major league career.

27-year old righty Ricky Nolasco will be the #2 starter for the Marlins in 2010. Nolasco started 31 games for the Marlins in 2010 in which he was 13-9 with a 5.06 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. Nolasco only walked 44 batters in 185 innings last season for the Marlins while whiffing 195 hitters showing just how good his stuff can be when he is focused. Nolasco had a big second half for the Marlins who hope he repeat his success for the whole year in 2010.

23-year old righty Chris Volstad will be penciled in as the #3 starter for the Marlins in 2010. He started 29 games for the Marlins in 2009 in which he was 9-13 with a 5.21 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. The Marlins hope Volstad will return to his success of his rookie year in 2008 in which he pitched in 15 games (14 starts) and was 6-4 with a 2.88 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP.

26-year old righty Anibal Sanchez really has the potential to be a solid starter for the Marlins if he can just stay healthy. Sanchez started 16 games for the Marlins last season in which he was 4-8 with a 3.87 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP. He needs to tighten up his control a bit as he walked 46 batters in only 86 innings last season for the Marlins. Sanchez has now pitched in 50 games (49 starts) in his four years with the Marlins in which he is 18-17 with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP. Sanchez has the stuff to be a top of the rotation starter for the Marlins so they need him to stay healthy in 2010.

24-year old righty Rick VandenHurk finally seemed to find himself last season for the Marlins. He started 11 games for the Marlins last season in which he was 3-2 with a 4.30 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. If VandenHurk throws strikes he could be a huge asset for the Marlins at the back end of the starting rotation.

The Marlins keep waiting for 24-year old lefty Andrew Miller to live up to his abiltiy. He pitched in 20 games (14 starts) for the Marlins last season in which he was 3-5 with a 4.84 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP. Miller had control issues last season as he walked 43 batters in only 80 innings for the Marlins last season. I really think that Miller would benefit from pitching in the minors from April to August as he doesn’t have much minor league time as the Tigers rushed him to the majors before he came to the Marlins in the Miguel Cabrera trade.

23-year old lefty starting pitcher Sean West started 20 games for the Marlins last season in which he was 8-6 with a 4.79 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP. West is one of the better prospects the Marlins have right now but they will be starting him in AAA in 2010. Don’t look for West to be in the minors long if the need arises in the rotation as he wasn’t overmatched in the majors in 2009.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE ROTATION IN 2010: B

29-year old righty swinging Cody Ross will have a home in RF in 2010. Ross played in 151 games for the Marlins last season and he was 151 of 559 (.270 avg, .790 OPS) with 73 runs scored, 24 homers, 90 RBIs and 5 stolen bases. Ross is a gamer so there is no reason to think he won’t be able to hit as well as he did in 2009 if not a little better. Ross only made 1 error in 57 games in RF last season while showing above average range. He only had 2 assists in RF as runners challenged him a bit.

27-year old righty swinging Brett Carroll will be Ross’ primary backup in 2010. Carroll played in 92 games for the Marlins last season and he was 33 of 141 (.234 avg, .689 OPS) with 18 runs scored, 3 homers and 18 RBIs. Carroll didn’t make any errors in 60 games in RF last season while showing outstanding range. He also has a nice arm as he had 4 assists in RF for the Marlins last year. Carroll is not much of a hitter so he is not much of an asset as a corner outfielder.

20-year old righty swinging Mike Stanton is one of the best prospects in the Marlins’ system but chances are that he won’t be ready in 2010. Morrison played in 129 games in A+AA ball last season and he was 122 of 479 (.255 avg, .842 OPS) with 76 runs scored, 28 homers and 92 RBIs. Morrison still has some work to do before he’s ready for the majors as he has whiffed 144 times last season.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE RF IN 2010: B-

The Florida Marlins have high hopes for 22-year old righty swinging Cameron Maybin who finished the 2009 season strongly. Maybin played in 54 games for the Marlins last season and he was 44 of 176 (.250 avg, .727 OPS) with 30 runs scored, 4 homers, 13 RBIs and 1 stolen base. But, Maybin had big problems making contact for the Marlins last season whiffing 51 times and that is way to many for a hitter like him. Maybin also played in 82 games in AAA-ball last season in which he was 95 of 298 (.319 avg, .862 OPS) with 44 runs scored, 3 homers, 39 RBIs and 8 stolen bases. Maybin only made 1 error in 52 games in CF for the Marlins last season and he showed slightly above average range there. Maybin only had 1 assist in CF last season so he doesn’t have the strongest arm around. Maybin is one of the biggest keys to the Marlins’ 2010 season because they don’t really have much depth in the outfield.

24-year old switch hitting Emilio Bonifacio will be the Marlins’ top utility man and one of his jobs will be to backup Maybin in CF. Bonifacio played in 11 games in CF for the Marlins last season and he didn’t make any errors there will showing outstanding range.

29-year old righty swinging Cody Ross is going to start in RF for the Marlins this season so don’t expect him to play much in CF this year. Ross played in 103 games in CF for the Marlins last season and he made 2 errors while showing slightly below average range. He did have 4 assists in CF last season showing a good throwing arm there.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE CF IN 2010: C-