Although Spring Training is fast approaching, the Miami M

During an otherwise sluggish Marlins offseason Shelby Miller Jersey , this past week brought some much-needed developments. Get caught up right here."arlins—as well as the other 29 Major League Baseball clubs—have plenty of questions to answer and moves to make this offseason.Here, we look at the biggest news and stories that stood out this week, and prepare fans for what promises to be another busy period! J.T. Realmuto Still a Miami Marlin...For Now Rejoice, Marlins fans, as this past week brought substantial movement on the J.T. Realmuto trade front. According to Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline, there is a deal being discussed between the Marlins and Reds involving Jonathan India, Tucker Barnhart and other prospects for Realmuto.Right-hander Nick Wittgren was designated for assignment recently, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him packaged with Realmuto. The Marlins removed Wittgren from their 40-man roster on Tuesday night and only have until this coming Tuesday to trade or pass him through waivers. What Can We Expect In Return?Miami’s front office isn’t going through all this trouble for nothing. Ultimately, the farm system will be greatly improved, regardless of which Realmuto finalist steps up with the best offer.Daniel Martinez breaks it down:Organizational Review for the Miami MarlinsAdam McInturff of 2080 Baseball unveiled his organizational review of the Miami Marlins for 2019. The review is full of the Marlins system’s strengths, weaknesses and scouting reports for many of the prospects. The review also had a ranking of the top 15 prospects. McInturff had high praise for outfielder Monte Harrison and right-hander Zac Gallen, but otherwise, his evaluations were closely aligned with others across the industry. Marlins Top Prospect Crack Top 100 ListsFor the time being, the franchise is still lacking in top-tier talent.Fish Stripes’ own Michael Picardi compiled the rankings of Marlins players across several reputable outlets, including MLB Pipeline, Baseball America Chris Owings Jersey , Baseball Prospectus, and Prospects Live. Most of them only acknowledged outfielder Victor Victor Mesa inside their Top 100 league-wide list.Pipeline in particular triggered some controversy. Many fans as well as the Fish Stripes staff felt disrespected by “analysis” that dishonestly recapped the value of young building blocks who arrived in last offseason’s well-publicized trades. Former Marlin Josh Johnson Turned 35 Who says you can’t celebrate the day of birth of an all-around great guy and former Marlin? Josh Johnson turned 35 on the 31st of January and Josean Santos wrote a great piece remembering his career with the Marlins and how great a player Johnson was. Here’s to many more, JJ! Jack Labosky: New Wheels, Same Journey Fish Stripes’ own Aram Leighton wrote about the amazing story of Jack Labosky, a minor leaguer for the Tampa Bay Rays organization. He not only turned an old school bus into a place to live, but has dealt with adversity that many minor leaguers unfortunately face all the time.I won’t spoil the whole article for you because it is a must-read, but it illustrates the tough sacrifices that these athletes make in pursuit of their dreams. Neil Walker Signs with the MarlinsPut this in the unexpected but intriguing folder. The Miami Marlins signed free agent Neil Walker to a one-year deal.Walker adds a great left-handed bat and veteran presence to a young Miami team. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic tweeted that the deal was worth a guaranteed $2 million. The 33-year-old is their first major league signing of the winter.The offseason may be slow and not as active as one would hope and J.T. Realmuto is still here, but no matter, you can count on Fish Stripes to keep you updated on all the happenings regarding the Miami Marlins. DENVER — The Colorado Rockies have gained control of their October destiny and will start German Marquez on Wednesday, hoping the young right-hander can continue his recent dominance against the free-falling Philadelphia Phillies.The Rockies, who blasted the Phillies 10-1 on Monday, won their fifth straight game Tuesday, pounding them 10-3. That victory coupled with St. Louis’ loss enabled the Rockies to move one-half game ahead of the Cardinals in the race for the second National League wild-card spot. The Rockies also gained ground on the Los Angeles Dodgers and are a half-game behind them in the NL West.The loss was a season-high sixth in a row for the Phillies (78-79), who have dropped 17 of 23 games this month and have dipped below .500 for the first time since April 9, when they were 4-5. The Phillies were 63-48 on Aug. 5, which was the second-best record in the NL but have since gone 15-31.Article continues below ...“We have not played good baseball for quite some time,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said after Tuesday’s loss. “We have to find a way to perform better. We have to find a way to work harder http://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-greinke-jersey , prepare better and come out and fight.”The 23-year-old Marquez (13-10, 3.91 ERA), who will start against Nick Pivetta (7-13, 4.58), has 210 strikeouts and is closing in on a single-season franchise record. Pedro Astacio also had 210 strikeouts in 1999 for the Rockies, and Ubaldo Jimenez set the franchise record with 214 strikeouts in 2010.Marquez, who is 3-1, 2.23 in his past six starts at home, last started Friday and won at Arizona, giving up two runs and six hitsin seven innings with no walks and 11 strikeouts.He has 11 or more strikeouts in four of his past five starts and has allowed three or fewer runs in 11 consecutive turns. In those 11 outings, Marquez is 5-2, 2.36 with 14 walks and 98 strikeouts in 76 1/3 innings, limiting opposing hitters to a .207 average and .575 OPS in that stretch.An improved slider, which Marquez has used more frequently this season, has been integral to his success. According to FanGraphs, Marquez’s slider usage has increased from 4.1 percent last year to 16 percent this season. Meanwhile, his fastball usage has decreased from 65.5 percent to 55.3 percent and his curveball usage has dipped to 22.2 percent from 25 percent. He has thrown his changeup 6.5 percent of the time Curt Schilling Jersey , up from 5.4 percent last year.“I think he has confidence in throwing his slider for a strike,” said catcher Tony Wolters, who has been behind the plate regularly when Marquez starts. “He throws his slider probably more for a strike than his curveball.”Wolters said the slider is a pitch Marquez will use to begin an at-bat, along with his very effective curveball and that the two breaking pitches complement each other and give him a first-pitch alternative to a fastball.But Marquez has been able to finish off hitters this year with the slider, because it’s a sharp-breaking swing-and-miss pitch and so much better than a year ago.“It has a lot of depth, and it goes down,” Wolters said. “Last year, it was kind of sweepy. He had trouble with it going down and had trouble throwing strikes with it.”Marquez is 1-1, 5.25 in two starts against the Phillies, both in Philadelphia.Pivetta had a no-decision Friday at Atlanta, where he gave up four hits and one run in five innings in Philadelphia’s 6-5 loss. He has not pitched more than five innings in five consecutive starts, going 0-3, 3.47 in that stretch covering 23 1/3 innings.Pivetta is 0-2, 16.43 in two starts against the Rockies, including a 7-2 loss June 13 at Philadelphia, where he gave up six runs and eight hits in five innings.