2007 Marlins Projected Lineup

2007 Florida Marlins

Batting Order

1. SS Hanley Ramirez
2. 2B Dan Uggla
3. 3B Miguel Cabrera
4. LF Josh Willingham
5. 1B Mike Jacobs
6. RF Jeremy Hermida
7. C Miguel Olivo
8. CF Alex Sanchez/Reggie Abercrombie

With Wes Helms gone, Jacobs will start against lefties as well as righties at the beginning of the year. Aaron Boone is the lone option as a platoonmate, and while he'd likely be an upgrade versus lefties, it's unlikely that he'll force the team's hand like Helms did last year. … Hermida is off to a slow start this spring, but publicly at least, the Marlins don't seem to be wavering in their commitment to the 23-year-old. His struggles would have to linger into the regular season for the team to turn to Joe Borchard or Cody Ross. … Sanchez is only a guess in center field, and I'm still holding out hope of a trade for someone like Jeremy Reed, Reggie Willits or David Murphy. Sanchez is a better hitter than Reggie Abercrombie or Eric Reed, but he's too much of a liability on defense to last.

Rotation

Dontrelle Willis
Scott Olsen
Anibal Sanchez
Ricky Nolasco
Sergio Mitre

RHP Josh Johnson will miss at least two months with an arm injury. Sanchez complained of pain in January, and Willis looks to rebound after leaving his final start of 2006 in the second inning because of pain. As for Mitre, who could replace Johnson in the rotation, he must prove the health issues that kept him out most of 2006 are behind him.

Closer:???
Taylor Tankersley
Ricky Nolasco
Matt Lindstrom
Henry Owens
Kevin Gregg

The Marlins don't have a savvy veteran , but they have a stable of young arms that includes Taylor Tankersley, Ricky Nolasco, Matt Lindstrom, and Henry Owens. Kevin Gregg is the other name in the mix. A couple early notes from MLB.com have caught our eye. One, Nolasco is currently being used as a starter. Two, the team does not want to use a committee. Tankersley appears to be the early favorite, but we have a long way to go until Opening Day.