Nightmare That Haunts Us

[u/theStripedMarlin]

https://www.mlb.com/news/victor-mesa-jr-traded-to-rays-from-marlins

smh, guy was in our system since 2018, only to get traded for a 19 yo lottery ticket.

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i know we have a log jam of OFs but damn we spent so much time and resources trying to develop this guy.

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and this is coming from someone who thinks most of Bendix trades have been pretty solid, this IMO is the worst and totally taints his reputation - mesa jr is the one who got away

[u/Waste-Respect240]

They took Hicks too

[u/theStripedMarlin → u/Waste-Respect240]

The return was solid though even if they are prospects. The timing killed our 2nd half depth. Bendix will never roll with 2 lefty hitting catchers as a platoon.

[u/dannymac420386 → u/theStripedMarlin]

So use hicks as another bat we desperately need. There is no excuse at all for the Hicks trade. Another in a long line of the marlins getting fleeced because other teams know they can

[u/Prestigious_Bag_428 → u/theStripedMarlin]

Solid? We got dollar scratch off cards in exchange for a 1000 dollar Amazon gift card.

[u/Catsaremyeverything]

Jeets got hosed on that signing. The Mesa bros did jack all.

[u/CandleOk436]

With the Hicks trade, I understood the logic. You already got a elite-defense caliber catcher in Joe Mack and you want to trade Hicks while his stock is up, especially after having that abysmal 12 game losing streak(plus there were really keen on keeping Gus, which has been...a decision). With Mesa Jr? Well, he was apart of the Jeter run and we already saw that if it wasn't a Benedix piece, you're odds of leaving after having a weak 2025 campaign were high, especially after getting Cassie the previous month for Cabrera. You already had a filled outfield that you even had to move Stowers to 1B and thus, Mesa Jr had to go.

Certainly possible that keeping one of those two could've got us over the .500 hump, but we've would've been one and done after the WC. I think the decision to keep Gus over Hicks was a bad one, but alas, them's the breaks.

[u/theStripedMarlin → u/CandleOk436]

Yes I agree. Bendix has had a hard time finding players who fit. We have a lot of talent it’s just so much of the talent I feel play the same positions - mostly project as corner OF, 2B, and DHs - who don’t have strong defensive placement. I.e Ramirez and Hicks. If Hicks was a RH batter I bet he wouldn’t have been traded. Mesa Jr also another LH corner OF which we have a surplus of. Roster construction has been difficult because of all these log jams. Meanwhile org is super thin at 3b / 1b (Stowers has helped a ton at MLB level) and backup catcher is an issue. Pitching we don’t have many starters. Hopefully White, Snelling, Mazur come back strong. Gusto, Philips, and Junk are helpful for depth.

[u/CandleOk436 → u/theStripedMarlin]

What sucks is that Gus was obviously the backup plans and either the Marlins and/or Gus himself clearly didn't want to transition himself to try at 1B or another position even though all his metric defensively were horrid and stay horrid in the Minors. Navarreto offensively is a massive liability and funny enough, our last back up Nick Fortes is also a Ray. So, now Benedix is probably going to attempt to dumpster dive for a backup catcher which has rarely gone well ever for the Marlins and maybe hope Brayden Taylor can be ready for next year while Sanoja holds the 3B fort down.

[u/jamjoaq81]

Painful to watch 🤦🏽‍♂️. Almost 🐬-esque of the Marlins to trade him and see the progression on another team!! (Cough, cough, Van Ginkel, Hunt, Welker to name a few)!

[u/theStripedMarlin → u/jamjoaq81]

Part of the frustration is it's literally Bendix former team. Maybe he's a spy for the Rays lmfao.

[u/harryjohnson17]

I remember when we signed him when he was 18 or younger. He was in the minors for a long time. Not saying it was a good trade, but it took him an awful long time to get to this point.

[u/jvaritek33c]

I really liked him

[u/theStripedMarlin → u/jvaritek33c]

He had so much potential with us. The left-handed and corner OF log jam killed it.

[u/dannymac420386 → u/theStripedMarlin]

I don’t think he starts in Tampa. You always need 4 and 5 outfielders and any and all major league level bats. And too many lefties ? I think that’s crazy as long as there are more righty than lefty pitchers

[u/jigokusabre]

It's a shame they never gave VMJ a real chance before moving on.

[u/theStripedMarlin → u/jigokusabre]

Too many young guys who play the same position. Thats why. Can’t get enough reps for all of them.

[u/Prestigious_Bag_428]

Mesa and Hicks elevated the Rays from a WC team to an ALCS team.

Their departure from the fish took us from a bubble team to a sub-500 team

Atta boy Bendix!

[u/jbird720]

From a rays fan, thank you!

[u/theStripedMarlin → u/jbird720]

Seriously? Why are you lurking us?

[u/jbird720 → u/theStripedMarlin]

Came up as a “suggested post”. I frankly have 0 opinion on the marlins